Burial ground

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated immediately NE of a road, an area of rough grass SE of the front garden of a newly-built house, on a gentle NW-facing slope with good views to W, N and E. Indicated on the 1923 OS 6-inch map as a sub-oval area (c. 30m E-W; 15m N-S) immediately N of a road. The monument is heavily obscured by grassy vegetation but is evident as a sub-oval area (17m E-W) defined by a scarped edge (Wth 5.5m; H 1.3m). Referred to in the Ordnance Survey Letters as the site of an old church called Teampall Mhíchíl; 'the inhabitants of the place say there was a grave yard here formerly; human bones and old coffins were found in 1819 whilst the ground was dug up when the field was under cultivation' (OSL vol. 2, p. 412). In 1840 the Ordnance Survey Name Books recorded the following; 'The ruins of this church are in a green field, planted with fir trees. it is about 60 [20m] by 30 [10m] feet, is level with the ground, and is covered with grass. It is said to have been an old Friary. The inhabitants also say that is was once surrounded by a spacious graveyard, and this seems confirmed by the discovery of great antiquities of human bones and the remains of coffins in 1819, while the field was being cultivated' (OSNB).
Archaeological monitoring under licence No. 02E1588 by Brian Hodkinson of the groundworks for a private house development in the vicinity of a church and enclosure at Templemichael, Caherconlish, revealed no features or deposits of archaeological significance.

Compiled by: Denis Power

Revised by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of revised upload: 31 October 2018

References

OSNB - Ordnance Survey Name Books. Pro-forma books arranged by Civil Parish for recording townland and other name-forms and compiled in the course of the OS 6-inch survey 1824-1841. The name books also include minor names and incidental references to antiquities. National Archives of Ireland.

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.