Church

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on a slight rise in a fairly level landscape with a small NW-SE stream c. 50m to the N. A church at Kilbey is listed in the ecclesiastical taxation (1302-06) of Pope Nicholas IV (Cal. doc. Ire. 5, 260). Ussher (1622) describes the church and chancel at Kilbegge as ruinous (Erlington 1847-64, 1, xc). According to Dopping’s Visitation (1682-3) the church of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Kilbeg had been in disrepair since 1641, although it was enclosed (Ellison 1973, 8). The medieval parish church is within a D-shaped graveyard (dims c. 45m N-S; c. 45m E-W) defined by a slight bank (int. H c. 0.1 0.4m; ext. H 1 1.4m) that is retained by an external stone-cladding NW-E-SW. The original perimeter is absent SW-NW where the graveyard has been extended (dims c. 40 45m E-W; c. 30m N-S) to a N-S public road.

The church is represented by the foundations of an undivided nave and chancel structure (ext. dims 15m E-W; 7.97m N-S; int. dims 12.84m E-W; 5.7m N-S) reduced to the foundations (Wth 0.9-1.25m; H 0.2-0.4m) of clay-bonded walls. The E end of the S wall is re-built inside its original line creating a narrower E end (int. dim. 4.5m at E). No features are visible, not even an entrance. There is a sandstone cross-slab (dims 0.46m x 0.13m; H 1.08m) with a ringed cross in relief occupying its E face in the graveyard. The design is composed of raised double lines (Wth of shaft, arms 11-12cm) with the double lines of the ring (ext. diam. 0.26m; int. diam. 0.16m) connecting the arms and shaft.

There is a record of a sundial (dims c. 0.42m x 0.35m) from the graveyard made by G. Du Noyer (1817-1869) that is probably older than the inscription that is fitted awkwardly around it. The inscription reads: (PR)AY FOR TERRENCE BENNET 1706, and his sketch of the church shows it with a nave and chancel. See this web-page accessed on 14/06/2022: https://www.europeana.eu/en/item/2020741/object_DP_17481837

The motte and bailey (ME011-019----) is c. 70m to the WSW. Archaeological testing NW of the graveyard produced some trenches (Wth of base 0.4-0.6m) cut into the subsoil overlain by a substantial wall with a shallow ditch on its N side. A large amount of slag and medieval pottery was recovered. (Meenan 1991)

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Meath' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1987). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of revision: 11 December, 2014

References

Meenan, R. 1992 Kilbeg Upper: Anglo-Norman bailey. In I. Bennett (ed.) Excavations 1991: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 37, No. 103. Bray, Wordwell

Ellison, Rev. C. C. 1971-5 Bishop Dopping's Visitation Book 1682-5, Ríocht na Mídhe, 5, 1, 28-39; 5, 2, 3-13; 5, 3, 3-11; 5, 4, 98-103; 6, 1, 3-13.

Cal. doc. Ire. - Calendar of documents relating to Ireland 1171-1307, ed. H.S. Sweetman (5 vols., London, 1875-86).

Erlington, C. R. (ed.) 1847-64 The whole works of the most Reverend James Ussher. 17 vols. Hodges and Smith, Dublin