Church

The National Monuments Service's description

In level pasture, at W side of Holly Island inlet on S shore of Shannon estuary; within enclosure (LI010-048004-) which also includes ruined hall house (LI010-048003-). Built of uncoursed limestone in a lime mortar; W gable and surviving walls are all heavily encased with ivy. Consists of nave (int.: 10.22m E-W; 5.5m N-S) with chancel (int.: 4.41m N-S) added at E end. All quoins of nave are missing; foundation plinth now exposed along outside of N wall. Wide breach in S wall (Wth 5.13m) is former door position; most of E wall is missing. East end of chancel is reduced to rubble but side walls, which abut E wall of nave, partially survive. Side wall on S side now terminates at ingoing of window ope. Interior of nave covered by mature elder tree, and otherwise overgrown with nettles.
Ruin of parish church of Tomdeely. Tomdeely was a manor of the Bishop of Limerick from the early 13th century but had became Desmond property by the 14th century (Westropp 1904-5, 393; Westropp 1906-7, 206). The church is clearly of two phases; the surviving structure is featureless but the earlier nave is at least 15th century in date.
Westropp recorded the following details about Tomdeely or Dromdeely; 'A parish. Tonndaily, 1201; Drumdell and "Orundell," granted by Hen. Mineter to Bishop Hubert, c. 1223 (B. B. L., xl.). The lands were granted to Margery, widow of Tyrry de Kardyff, 1251 (lb. xix.). It was the Bishop's manor, 1252 {lb. xviii) and 1336 (rental); Drimdel, 1281 (Pipe Roll, 13) ; Arundel, 1302; Dromdily, or Dromdelthy, 1410; Drumdyll, in Ardacha, and Drumdele, in Rathgell, 1336, 1420 (rentals) ; Dromdelie, 1615 b. In 1840 it was locally Tom-dhaoile, the bush (not mound or ridge) of the Deel (O'Donovan). Fabric - The church is late fifteenth-century with a nave and chancel 34 feet [10.36m] by 24 feet [7.31m], and 21 feet [6.4m] by 15½ feet [4.6m]. The sides, 10 [3m] and 12½ feet [3.7m] high ; all the features are defaced ; the chancel arch has fallen, and the graveyard is desecrated and tilled (O. S. L., 9, p. 443). A group of pillar-stones stand near Knockeegan fort, near the mouth of the Deel, perhaps at the "Tom," or tumulus of the placename' (Westropp 1904-5, 393-4; OSL vol. 1, 444-5).
In 1906 the following details were recorded; '(Tomdaile, The Bush of the river Deel), now Toomdeely, a parish north-west of Askeaton and bordering on the Shannon. The ruins of the old church do not seem to be older than the fifteenth century. This parish was one of the bishop's manors' (Begley 1906, 111).

Compiled by: Denis Power

Revised by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of revised upload: 3 October 2018

References

Westropp, T.J. 1906-7 The ancient castles of the county of Limerick. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 26, 54-264.

OSL - Ordnance Survey Letters. Letters written by members of the Ordnance Survey's 'Topographical Department' (T. O'Conor, A. O'Curry, E. Curry, J. O'Donovan and P. O'Keeffe) sent to headquarters from the field (1834-41). MSS in Royal Irish Academy.

Westropp, T.J. 1904-5 A survey of the ancient churches of Co. Limerick. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 25C, 327-479.

Begley, J. 1906 The Diocese of Limerick ancient and medieval. Dublin.