Church

The National Monuments Service's description

Associated with St Kieran of Ossory. In an upland area. Only foundations of the church remain (L c. 15m; Wth c. 7.5m; wall T c. 0.96m) survive. Reference to remains of an ancient altar, said to have been built against E gable, and St Kieran's Bush (Carrigan 1905, vol. 2, 129-130).. No trace of altar visible. St Kieran's Bush is a hawthorn bush in NW angle of subrectangular graveyard. Described by Carrigan as 'The church of Knockseerach stood on the summit of a bare, rocky hill, 615 ft. over the sea level, and taking in a truly magnificient view of the Queen's County, Tipperary and Kilkenny. The south and west walls are entirely uprooted; the north side-wall is 18 in. high all along. The east gable, which just appears over the surface, was cut through in the centre, with a view to the construction of a burial vault in 1897. The cavity thus formed shows that the foundations and floor of the church are fully 4 ft. beneath the present surface; the the east gable is 3 ft. 2 in. thick, and built of stone and lime mortar or grouting; and that part of the ancient altar, 3 ft. thick and built of stone and clay mortar, still remains up against it (that is the east gable) on the inside. The external width of the building is 25 ft.. The entire length is 50 ft. , but of this only 38ft. Of the east end can be called the church proper, a strong, thick wall having cut off 12 ft. Of the west end, apparently for a presbytery' (Carrigan 1905, vol. 2, 129-30). The lower wall footings of this church survive approximately three courses high and can still be seen located in the NW quadrant of the graveyard. There are several headstones located inside the church and the cross wall of the so called presbytery can se seen running acrosss the eastern end of the church. The holy bush known as St. Kieran's Bush is located immediately to the W of the church. The graveyard wall is a short distance to the W of the W gable of the church.

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: 08 March 2010