Church

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on a slight rise in a level landscape. Bury was a chapel-of-ease to Kells and was in ruins according to Ussher’s Visitation (1622) (Erlington 1847-64, 1, xc). According to Dopping’s Visitation (1682-5) the parish church of Bury, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, had been a ruin since 1641 and was not enclosed (Ellison 1973, 9). The church is depicted as a roofed structure on the 1836 ed. of the OS 6-inch map, although described as mere remains (Lewis 1837, vol. 1, 234). Portion of the W gable (int. L 5.55m), surviving to the full height with a light in a lintelled embrasure in the roof area, and an adjoining part of the N wall (L 1.55m) of the church is located towards the N edge of a subrectangular graveyard (dims c. 70m NNE-SSW; c. 45m WNW-ESE at N to c. 70m WNW-ESE at S) that might have been circular and is defined by scarps. Roe (1968, 110) records a fragment of an octagonal font with a circular basin (int. diam. 0.39.5m) and one side panel (Wth 0.24.3m; H 0.25m) from the church that was not noticed in 1984. However, this fragment is confirmed at the S end of the church gable (pers. com. Ann Murtagh 1997).

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 upload/revision: 4 June 2014
Amended: 31 July, 2014
Amended: 26 February, 2019

References

Lewis, S. 1837 A topographical dictionary of Ireland, 2 vols. London. Lewis and Co.

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

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.

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