Church

The National Monuments Service's description

An old ruined church , possibly associated with St Meathon, stood within an almost circular graveyard until the early 1900s, however, not a trace of it survives (O'Hanlon and O'Leary 1907, vol. 1, 188-89). Situated on a slope in a low-lying marshy area. A raised burial ground (LA018-017002-) with no evidence of a church. All headstones visible date from the eigtheenth century onwards. Modern wall surrounds burial ground. No early remains visible. The Poor Law Guardians built a wall around the graveyard which was originally enclosed by a fosse. Headstones postdate 1700. Architectural fragments from the church are incorporated in a nearby tuck mill.
Described in the History of Queens County as 'The graveyard (LA018-017002-) of Kilvahan occupies an elevated situation and its surrounded by a nearly circular fosse (LA018-017003-), which was formerly entered by an old road leading from the adjoining village of Moneeenafullagh, the little marshy spot of blood' on the direction from Ballyknockan Castle. The passage of funeral processions to the cemetery, at present, leads along a headland of the adjacent field to the boreen, where traces of the old road (LA018-017004-) are to be seen. Of late a wall of enclosure has been built around the cemetery by the Poor Law Guardians. Formerly and indeed to the beginning of the present century, an old ruined church was to be seen within the burial enclosure of Kilvahan. From a perfect local knowledge of the spot, the writer has not been able to trace a single vetsige of those ancient walls' (O'Hanlon and O'Leary 1907, vol. 1, 189).

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