Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Church
Knockatemple, County Mayo, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Knockatemple
- County
- Mayo
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Carrowleckeen Church in Ruins
- Latest-edition OS map
- Carrowleckeen Ch. (in Ruins)
- Coordinates
- 53.89158, -9.10976
- SMR number
- MA070-167001-
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 4 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1753 "Mappa geographica Regni Hiberniae" (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
At the NE corner of graveyard (MA070-167002-).
This medieval church is named ‘Carrowleckeen church’ on the OS 6-inch maps. The remains consist of a ruined and roofless rectangular building (int. 8.1m E−W; W 4.4m N−S) constructed of mortared limestone rubble. The entrance is through a doorway with a pointed arched cut stone surround in the centre of the W gable. The W gable (H 0.4m; T 0.7m) is relatively intact but the apex of the gable has collapsed and quoins have been robbed out. Above the doorway in the exterior wall face, there is a large rectangular recess with chamfered jambs, lintel and sill; the S half of the lintel is missing. Below and either side of this recess are two small lintelled rectangular opes (N ope: Wth 0.32m; H 0.25m; S ope: Wth 0.34m; H 0.4m). Internally the wall fabric around the doorway is missing.
The N wall stands to its full height (H 2.83m; T 0.7m), except for the E end of the wall which has collapsed into the church interior. A rectangular lintelled ope (Wth 0.47m; H 0.31m), similar to those in the W gable, is located 2.3m from the W end of the wall, at 1.85m above the interior ground surface. Three mountain ash saplings are growing on top of the wall at the E end of the surviving section. Much of the exterior wall face is obscured by vegetation; and parts of the interior wall face are also vegetation covered.
The S half of the E gable (H 3.5m; T 0.8m) stands to almost its full height, but the quoins at the SE angle have been robbed out; the N half of the gable including the central window has collapsed. Two architectural fragments, possibly part of the E window, were noted in the heap of collapsed wall fabric.
The E half of the S wall stands to its full height (H 2.9m; T 0.7m), although part of the exterior face has collapsed at its E end. There is small lintelled ope (Wth 0.33m; H 0.34m), similar to those in the W gable and N wall, at the E end of the wall, 1.05m W of the E gable and 2m above the interior ground level, and the splayed E jamb of a window survives at the W end of the surviving section of the S wall. To the W of the latter window, only the lower courses (H 0.65-1.5m) of the S wall survive, and a spread of collapsed wall fabric is visible on the ground to S of the wall. Vegetation, including a young hawthorn bush, is growing on the surviving section of the wall.
There are a few stone gravemarkers in the church interior, as well as a wooden cross located along the N wall. The interior ground surface is grass-grown and is strewn with stone rubble.
Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy
Date of upload: 30 November 2021
Nearby in the register
- Graveyardunder 1 mi
- Children's burial groundunder 1 mi
- Earthworkunder 1 mi
- Enclosureunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.