Graveyard

The National Monuments Service's description

In an upland river valley at the E end of a low ridge overlooking a steep river valley immediately to E and N, with a later medieval church (KK015-030004-) and graveyard (KK015-030005-) 85m and 44m respectively to W of this church. There is a holy well, known as St. Scoheen's Well (KK015-030006-), approx. 60m W of the church (KK015-030001-) and graveyard. The church is marked as 'Tiscoffin Church (Site of)' on the 1900 ed. OS 6" map which is derived from the Irish Tigh Scoithin. St. Scoithin was a 6th-century monk who established a hermitage here during this period. There is no visible trace of the early medieval church which is located in the SW quadrant of a small square-shaped graveyard (int. dims. 24m N-S; 25m E-W). The graveyard is defined by a low grass-covered stone wall constructed of coursed shale limestone which survives approx. six courses high (H 0.6m; wall T 0.6m). The OS letters records that 'the original grave yard of this original church is no longer used; in it are shewn seven flags (now partly covered with grass and earth) under which seven Bishops - the seven sons of Scoithin are said to be interred' (O'Flanagan 1930, vol. 1, 73-4). A cross-inscribed slab (KK015-030008-) was discovered in 1950 lying along the bank of the graveyard.

Compiled by: Jean Farrelly

Date of upload: 7 March 2016

References

O'Flanagan, Rev. M. (Compiler) 1930 Letters containing information relative to the antiquities of the county of Kilkenny collected during the progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1839. Bray.