Graveyard

The National Monuments Service's description

The site of the medieval parish church of Oldcastle or Cloyle (ME009-018----) is within a rectangular graveyard (dims c. 45m E-W; c. 38m N-S) defined by masonry walls. Almost 60 memorials from the church and graveyard have been published, about half of which date from the 18th century (ffolliott and Jones 1968). The disc-headed cross (ME009-018002-) is outside the church on the E side. There are two heavy recumbent graveslabs close to the S wall of the graveyard. The E one (2.24m x 1.05m; T 0.1-0.13m) has one end of the stone (L 1.28m) reserved for the crest, and there is an inscription with the date 1727. The crest is heater-shaped (max. Wth 0.37m; H 0.48m), with a chevron and three lions rampant, two above and one below. About 10m to the W and just inside the S wall of the graveyard is another heavy recumbent stone (2.3m x 1.15m; T 0.15m). The crest (H 0.57m; Wth c. 0.4m) is very worn. It has a two lions on top, two on the bottom and a line of three bells or mushrooms across the centre. There is an inscription, incised in cursive beneath this but it is almost completely worn away and illegible, though likely dating to the 18th century.

 

Archaeological testing (03E0105) by C. Read on plots immediately to the N of the graveyard identified no related material but there was a post-medieval well (excavations.ie 2003:1443). Further testing (03E0598) by E. O’Sullivan on the site of a single house c. 35m N of the graveyard at the closest point identified no related material (excavations.ie 2003:1444). Archaeological testing (05E0165) by P. D. Sweetman immediately S of the graveyard produced no evidence that burial ever extended outside the graveyard in this direction (excavation.ie 2005:1228).

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 21 May, 2014
Amended: 7 August, 2014, 22 January 2021, 13 October 2025

References

ffolliott, R. and Jones, H. E. 1968 Monumental inscriptions form Oldcastle, Co. Meath, Ríocht na Mídhe 4, 2, 11-19.