Chapel

The National Monuments Service's description

On natural high shelf of ground, terrain dips immediately to the S. No surface remains visible today of medieval chapel of Kilcurly in the parish of Adare which was a chapel of ease belonging to the parish of Adare. Described as a building in repair in 1590 and depicted as a roofed building on mid-17th century map (Westropp 1904-5, 379-80), shown as a ruined rectangular structure (c. 15m E-W; c. 5m N-S) on 1840 ed. OS 6-inch map; Westropp (ibid.) noted 'its foundations remained recently'. Area now occupied by courtyard and garden of Kilcurly House which stands immediately W of church site.
Westropp recorded the following details about Kilcurly; 'It lies to the west of the Maigue. Kylcharli, 1201; Kylkyrely, 1291. The Hospitallers served it in 1302. Cap. de Kylkyrille, 1400. It is mentioned with Adare in several grants and fiants, e.g. 1595 (Fiant 5964), "kilcrile, Kilcoile, or Killcryll, Kilkerely, alias Kilcoyle, or Kilbride,"belonged to the Franciscan Convent of Adare. Kilkerlle Church is given as in repair in Jobson's map, 1590 (1209, MSS., T.C.D., No. 56). Kilkerill is shown as roofed (on Petty's map, No. 70, and D.S.(B.), p. 18) in 1657. Site - Its foundations remained recently near Kilcurly house, and west from the graveyard [children's burial ground (LI012-069----) ], in the position shown on the maps of 1657' (Westropp 1904-5, 379-80).
Medieval chapel of 'Kilkerill' [Cill Choireallaigh/Kilcurley] shown standing to NE of a substantial dwelling with a second building to S (LI012-151----) on the 1657 Down Survey map of Kenry Barony (NLI, MS 718). Church ruins depicted on the 1840 ed. OS 6-inch map where it is shown standing immediately S of a walled garden. No surface remains visible today of church site on Digital Globe aerial photographs. The chapel of ease of Kilcurly belonged to the medieval Deanery of Adare and is listed in the 1302 ecclesiastical taxation of the goods belonging to the Bishop of Limerick where it is described as 'the Church of Adare, with the chapels of Kylkyrerly [Kilcurly] and castle Robert' (Cal Doc. Ire. vol. 5, 273; Dunraven 1865, 94). Site of Kilcurly chapel described by Dunraven (1865, 271) as 'Little besides the foundations of this small church is now visible'. In 1587 Robert Collam of Dublin was granted the 'the site of the house of friars of the Trinity [LI021-032008-], of Adare, co. Limerick, called the house of friars of the redemption of captives, cottages and land in the Burgage of Adare, land in Adare, Castell Robert, Kilcoyle alias Kilkryle; the tithes of the rectory of Adare collected in the towns of Adare, Ballynfinter, Choro, Cloghrane, Twoth, Curraghe, Kilnage, Roer, Kilcrill, Ballyrobert, Ballyfanninge, and half Balligole, the altarages and two coupells of corn to the curate serving in the church excepted' (Nicholls 1994, Vol. 3, 43). In 1595 this grant was confirmed to Henry Wallop which included, 'half a carucate in Kylcoille alias Kilkrile with a mill (LI012-050-)' (Nicholls 1994, 261). These lands were first granted in 1587 when they were described as containing 'In Kilcoill, alias Kill Kryle, 3 Messuages, 2 Cottages, 24a. arable, 6a. pasture, & underwood, and the foundation of a Watermill [LI012-150----], & other lands containing ½ a Plowland' (Dunraven 1865, 253).

See attached 1657 Down Survey map of Kenry Barony

Compiled by: Denis Power

Revised by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of revised upload: 17 February 2020

References

NLI, MS 718 - National Library of Ireland, Parish maps with terriers, showing forfeited lands in County Limerick, commonly known as the "Down Survey", executed under the direction of Sir William Petty, 1657, and copied by Daniel O'Brien, 1786.

Dunraven, the Countess of 1865 Memorials of Adare manor. With historical notices of Adare, by the earl of Dunraven E.R.W. WyndhamQuin.

Cal. doc. Ire. - Calendar of documents relating to Ireland 1171-1307, ed. H.S. Sweetman (5 vols., London, 1875-86).

Nicholls, K.W. (ed.) 1994 The Irish fiants of the Tudor sovereigns during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, Philip & Mary, and Elizabeth I, 4 vols. Dublin. Éamonn de Búrca for Edmund Burke Publisher.

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