Graveyard

The National Monuments Service's description

Ballinskelligs Abbey (KE097-036----) was the priory of the Arroasian Canons of the Order of St Augustine, located on the W shore of Ballinskelligs Bay. It was founded in 1210, or shortly afterwards, originating from Rattoo in north Kerry. It is recorded that the early monastery of Skellig Michael (KE104A-001----) was transferred, due to the hazardous conditions on the rock, to this location prior to the mid-eleventh century (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 192; Smith 1756, 103). The priory retained possession of the Great Skellig and of the alias 'de Rupe Michaelis'.
The priory is located close to the shoreline, the erosion of which since at least the eighteenth century has resulted in the destruction of several buildings and much of the SE side of the monastery and graveyard (Smith 1756, 103; OSL; Lynch 1902, 344). A substantial sea-wall, revetted by groynes, now protects the site.
The priory comprises a number of buildings which exhibit architectural details relating to various periods between the thirteenth and fifteenth centuries. Numerous graves occupy the interior of the nave of KE097-036----, many of them marked by architectural fragments. The two rectangular buildings (KE097-036004- & KE097-036006-) located close to the graveyard are obscured by tombs and burials.

Ballinskelligs graveyard was surveyed in 2012 and described as follows (Dunne 2012); 'Ballinskelligs Abbey and graveyard is situated near the SW tip of the Iveragh Peninsula. It lies on the W side of the Ballinskelligs Bay across from the town of Waterville. A holed-stone (KE097-036001) was recorded by Crawford in 1915 as lying on the beach outside the abbey. Its whereabouts are now unknown. The remains of a font were also recorded in the abbey church (O’Sullivan & Sheehan 1996, 350). None of these previously recorded artefacts were located in the course of this survey. A substantial amount of the E limits of the medieval Augustinian abbey complex has been eroded by the sea in the past. The medieval abbey is now protected by a robust sea-wall that forms the entirety of the E boundary. The abbey complex of buildings, that are now undergoing conservation by the OPW, dominate the graveyard and effectively divides the burial ground into two areas. The N-NE area slopes to seaward and is bumpy and irregular underfoot.
The entrance comprises a pair of locally forged wrought-iron gates, 1.6m wide, set between two square rubblestone piers built to courses. The N gate is not opening and the S gate only partially. The S gate pier is entirely overgrown with ivy. The W & N boundary walls are built of local split sandstone with ‘soldier’ capping and are very overgrown and encroaching on the graves. While there is a boundary breach mid way along the N wall. The S boundary is of similar construction but is devoid of ivy and in general good condition. The E or seaward boundary is very robust and constructed of mass-concrete from locally derived gravel. This E boundary also acts as a sea-wall as over the centuries much of the E limits of the medieval complex have been eroded by the sea. Coherent sections of previous destroyed sea-wall lie on the rocky shore. A pedestrian stepped-stile is situated in the ENE limits of boundary wall to accommodate walkers along the beach-front from Ballinskelligs and Ballinskelligs castle [KE097-036003-]. There are ten tombs in Ballinskelligs graveyard disposed around and within the medieval abbey buildings but preferentially the cloister area and one in the refectory. The tombs in Ballinskelligs are of the house-shaped or tiered strong-box shaped variety while a lean-to type abuts the S elevation of the cloister. There are two hundred and thirty (230) recorded named headstones in Ballinskelligs graveyard and abbey, of which one hundred
and seventeen (117) have associated formal grave plots. There are three graveslabs recorded in Ballinskelligs graveyard, two of which have names while the third is unknown. There are one hundred and eighty two (182) unhewn, unnamed gravemarkers in Ballinskelligs graveyard. There were four notched gravemarkers recorded in Ballinskelligs grave yard. These unhewn notched gravemarkers form a particular type of medieval grave marker and are relatively unknown and little studied aspect of medieval funerary practice. Fourteen (14) architectural fragments (AFs) were recorded in Ballinskelligs abbey and
graveyard in the course of this survey. The majority of which were stored in the Prior’s House while
a font fragment was situated in the abbey church. Two cross-slabs or cross inscribed headstones were recorded in Ballinskelligs graveyard during the course of this survey. Both cross slabs are simple,
cross-inscribed slabs. The cross motifs inscribed on both slabs are of the simple Latin type. One of the cross-slabs is post medieval and has the letters ‘J C’ inscribed around the shaft of the cross. A fragment of a sandstone rotary quern-stone was recorded'.

See attached photographs and plan of graveyard courtesy of Laurence Dunne

The above description is derived from A. O'Sullivan and J. Sheehan (compilers), 'The Iveragh peninsula: an archaeological survey of South Kerry'. Cork University Press (1996), no. 1085. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Revised by: Caimin O'Brien based on details provided by Laurence Dunne

Date of revised upload: 13 May 2022

References

Dunne, L. 2012 Archaeological Survey, Ballinskelligs Abbey and Graveyard, Ballinskelligs, Waterville, Co. Kerry. Unpublished report for The Heritage Office, Kerry County Council (SMR file).

Walsh, T.J. and O'Sullivan, D. 1949 Saint Malachy, the Gill Abbey of Cork and the Rule of Arrouaise. Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society 54, 41-60.

Smith, C. 1756 (Reprint 1969) The ancient and present state of the county of Kerry. Cork. The Mercier Press.

OSL - Ordnance Survey Letters. Letters written by members of the Ordnance Survey's 'Topographical Department' (T. O'Conor, A. O'Curry, E. Curry, J. O'Donovan and P. O'Keeffe) sent to headquarters from the field (1834-41). MSS in Royal Irish Academy.

O'Sullivan, A. and Sheehan, J. 1996 The Iveragh peninsula: an archaeological survey of South Kerry. Cork University press.

Lynch, P.J. 1902 Some of the antiquities around Ballinskelligs Bay, Co. Kerry. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 32, 321.

Hickson, M.A. 1891 Notes on Kerry topography, ancient and modern. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 21, 44-9, 310-17.

Gwynn, A. and Hadcock, R.N. 1970 (Reprint 1988) Medieval religious houses of Ireland. Dublin. Irish Academic Press.

Cal. Carew MSS - Calendar of the Carew manuscripts preserved in the archiepiscopal library at Lambeth, 1515-74 [etc.] (6 vols, London, 1867-73)