Graveyard

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated in undulating countryside beside a road. On the first ed. OS 6-inch map the remains of a medieval church (LA023-029----) stand on the S boundary of a square-shaped field (dims. c. 43m N-S; 45m E-W) depicted as an orchard on the OS map. The church is incorrectly marked, to S of road, on the 1909 ed. OS 6-inch map and on the 25-inch OS map. According to local information, there was a graveyard in the field known as 'the Church Field', to N of church. Large quantities of human bones were uncovered here, during ploughing in the 1950s. The graveyard (LA023-029001-) was levelled in 1845. According to Carrigan in this year the graveyard attached to the church was uprooted and the clay put out for top-dressing There was a nunnery adjoined to the church and hence it got the name Teampull na gCailleach Dubh or the Church of the Black Nuns (Carrigan 1905, vol. 2, 55-56). There are a series of low earthworks in the field immediately to the S of the church which may be related to the medieval church. On the first ed. OS 6-inch map this field is depicted with two small tower-like buildings with adjoining earthworks possibly of a formal garden. According to Carrigan the townland name Farraneglish means Land of the Church or Church Land. This was a chapel of ease to Aghaboe parish church in medieval times (ibid., vol. 2, 55-6).

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 15 July 2013