Church

The National Monuments Service's description

Westropp (1904-5, 398) recorded the following details about Kilmoylan Church; 'Kilmolan, 1302; Keilmualain, 1410; Kilmolan, 1418; Kilmoylan, 1615.
Fabric - A late, plain church on the extreme east edge of its parish. It is 35 feet [10.6m] by 18 feet [5.5m]; the west gable fell 1839 ; the windows are defaced, and the door heavily ivied. It is of hammered stones with a flat lintel resting on corbels (O.S.L., 8, p. 28)'.
Church described in 1840 as following; 'The walls are perfect with the exception of the west gable, which fell about two years ago. It is thirty five feet long by eighteen feet in breadth. On the east gable there was a window which is now disfigured. On the south side wall two feet [0.6m] from the west gable there is another window, now also disfigured. The doorway is on this wall seven and a half feet [2.3m] from the west gable; it is disfigured on the inside. On the outside it is five feet eight inches [1.7m] high by two feet nine inches [0.83m]; the centre of the stone (a) has fallen away; the lintel is but three feet [0.9m] long and eight inches [0.2m] in depth, and enters the thickness of the wall one feet [0.3m]. It is formed of hammered stones. The walls of this church are about ten feet [3m] high, two and a half feet [0.8m] in thickness and built of large stones, very irregularly laid, and cemented with lime and sand mortar; they have the appearance of antiquity. There is a large graveyard attached much in use at present' (OSL, 32).

See attached sketch of doorway in south wall of church taken from OS letters.

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 20 November 2018

References

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.