Church

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on a rise in an undulating landscape. The parish church of Kilsany, now called Kilshine from Ceall Shinche – the cell of Sineach, is marked on the Down Survey (1656-8) barony map of Morgallion. Sineach was a daughter of Fionnbharr and descended from the Conall Cearnach, and is known from a Life of St. Abban of Adamstown, Co. Wexford (WX031-023----) (Cogan 1862-7, 2, 284; Ó Riain 2011, 564). A church at Kilsenny is listed in the ecclesiastical taxation (1302-06) of Pope Nicholas IV (Cal. doc. Ire. 5, 261). Ussher (1622) describes the church and chancel of Kilshenny as ruined (Erlington 1847-64, 1, xcvii). According to the Royal Visitation (1693) the church of St. Jane had been a ruin for 40 years and it was not fenced, although the font was noted (Ellison 1973, 4-5).
The present Church of Ireland church of St. Sinche, known locally as Cill Insha, was built in 1815 with a spire (Lewis 1837, vol. 2, 209), but it is now a shell within a rectangular graveyard (dims c. 45m N-S; c. 30m E-W) defined by masonry walls. The spire is beginning to suffer from the weather, but there is no evidence of an older structure. The circular font (ext. diam. 0.63m; int. diam. 0.43m; H 0.61m; D 0.25m) with three short legs from this site (Roe 1968, 121-2) is now at the graveyard of St. Columba’s Church of Ireland church, in Kells (ME017-044040-). The circular field pattern (diam. c. 250m) around the graveyard would relate to the older church or might indicated the low-points in the surrounding landscape.
For the Down Survey barony map see this web page accessed on 22 May, 2014. http://downsurvey.tcd.ie/down survey maps.php#bm=Morgallion&c=Meath

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

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

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

Roe, H.M. 1968 Medieval fonts of Meath. Meath Archaeological and Historical Society.

Lewis, S. 1837 (reprint 1980) A history and topography of Limerick City and county. Dublin and Cork. Mercier Press.

Cogan, Rev. A. 1862-70 Ecclesiastical history of the diocese of Meath: ancient and modern. (3 vols) Dublin: John Fowler, Joseph Dollard

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.

Ó Riain, P. 2011 A dictionary of Irish Saints. Dublin. Four Courts Press.