Church

The National Monuments Service's description

St. Monenna may have founded a religious house here in the seventh or ninth century (O'Byrne, D. 1856, 46). A church is marked here on the 1563 map of Leix and Offaly (Hore 1863, f.p. 345). The surviving rectangular church (L c. 14.2m, Wth c. 7.7m) is built of roughly coursed limestone and has a round-headed doorway in W gable and a segmental round-headed narrow ope in E gable. Remains of N and S walls are featureless. Some uninscribed grave-markers visible in the graveyard (LA014-016002-). A substantial circular enclosure (LA014-016003-) (diam. c. 72.5m) defined by an earthen bank (Wth c. 2.5m; int. H c. 0.7m; ext. H c. 1.1m) survives from SE-NW.
Described in the nineteenth century as measuring 36 feet in length by 18ft in width. The doorway which is in the west gable, is round headed; a small narrow, lancet window appears in the east end. Portions of the four walls remain, the masonry of which is of a coarse description. The grave-yard in which the old church stands, is well enclosed, and a handsome entrance has been erected by Mrs. Grattan Bellew (Comerford 1886, vol. 3, 376).

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Laois' (Dublin Stationery Office, 1995) compiled by P. David Sweetman, Olive Alcock and Bernie Moran. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload: 17 December 2007