Church

The National Monuments Service's description

Located on a S-facing hillslope within Manorhamilton town and within a subrectangular graveyard (dims 40m N-S; 37m E-W) which is defined by masonry walls and contains 18th and 19th-century graves. This was the old Protestant church of Manorhamilton, probably built in the 17th century, and abandoned in 1783 (Faughnan 1943, file no. 131) when the present church within the bastioned fort (LE011-015---) c. 300m to the NE was built. The church is a rectangular structure (int. dims 18.6m E-W; 6.45m N-S) built of randomly coursed masonry with walls surviving complete (H c. 3m). There is a large window opening (Wth c. 1.9m; H 3.5m) in the E gable, and a round-headed doorway (Wth c. 1.5m; H c. 3m) and single bellcote in the W gable. There are three smaller openings in the S wall, while most of the N wall does not survive. Archaeological testing (02E1345) c. 40m to the E produced no related material (Read 2004), and testing (05E0393) across the lane to the SW had a similar result (Crumlish 2008).

The above description is derived from 'The Archaeological Inventory of County Leitrim' compiled by Michael J. Moore (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2003). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of revised upload: 13 February 2017

References

Read, C. 2004 Old Church Street, Manorhamilton. In I. Bennett (ed.), Excavations 2002: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 290, No. 1060. Bray. Wordwell.

Faughnan, D. 1943 ITA topographical and general survey. Ballinamore Library, Co Leitrim, (file no. 140). Unpublished.

Crumlish, R. 2008 The Commons, Manorhamilton: no archaeological significance. in I. Bennett (ed.) Excavations 2005: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 235, No. 943. Dublin, Wordwell