Church

The National Monuments Service's description

This record refers to the church which gave the townland of Killybrone its name. The exact location of the church is in doubt. O'Donovan in the 1838 OS Letters recorded that this church was located 'about six perches to the north of a fort that is nearly destroyed' and occupied ‘the highest part of this rising ground which very well merits the name of Tulach...’ (O’Flanagan 1927, 287-8 (124)). He stated that the church was demolished about five years previous to his visit and that only a corner stone of the E gable and a single stone from the N wall survived in situ.
The church was incorrectly listed in the RMP (1997) at IG co-ordinates 11944 33122 (ITM 519406 831229), which placed it downslope and to N of a rath (MA015-046----), named 'Rathwanowen' on the 1922 OS 6-inch map, a location not in keeping with O’Donovan description. According to local tradition, the church was located upslope to S, somewhere in the vicinity of ITM 519466 830984. The latter location appears to fit O’Donovan’s description more accurately, placing it as it does on the summit of the ridge and close to a destroyed ringfort (MA015-048---), Mullaghorn Fort. However, no trace of a church or graveyard (MA015-060002-) is evident on the ridge top, and the exact location of the church remains unknown. The church may have been part of, or associated with a nunnery (MA015-060003-).

Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy

Date of upload: 14 November 2017

References

O'Flanagan, Rev. M. (Compiler) 1927 Letters containing information relative to the antiquities of the county of Mayo collected during the progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1838. Bray.