Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Architectural feature
Balla, County Mayo, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Balla
- County
- Mayo
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Latest-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Coordinates
- 53.80521, -9.13124
- SMR number
- MA090-024011-
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
In Balla village, located 16.4m NE of a round tower (MA090-024004-) in the E half of a graveyard (MA090-024005-).
A late medieval, rectangular stone altar-table (H 1m) is constructed of a base (L 2.8m; H 0.93m) of regular, punch-dressed limestone blocks supporting a top (L 2.97m; H 0.17m) of well fitted limestone slabs with a rolled, over-hanging edge. The E side of the altar is set against remnants of a roughly coursed wall of mortared sandstone blocks which extends only for the length of the altar, and rises c. 0.40m above the altar top. Built into this wall is an inscribed stone (MA090-024012-) displaying an unusual design. The altar may have come from a church (MA090-024010-) which Lewis (1837, 102) records stood near the round tower (MA090-024004-).
Attached image:
MA090-024011-_01.JPG altar viewed from W
Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy
Date of upload: 25 June 2018
References
Lewis, S. 1837 A topographical dictionary of Ireland, 2 vols. London. Lewis and Co.
Nearby in the register
- Inscribed stoneunder 1 mi
- Graveyardunder 1 mi
- Churchunder 1 mi
- Architectural fragmentunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.