Church

The National Monuments Service's description

Described as a church in gothic lettering on the 1836 ed. of the OS 6 inch map, it is situated on a prominent natural hillock. It is probably a Chapel-of-Ease to Teltown parish church (ME017-031----), which is c. 2.8km to the S. It is not mentioned in Ussher’s Visitation (1622) (Erlington 1847-64, 1, lxxxvii-xc), but according to Dopping’s Visitation (1682-5) a chapel at Oristown (Baile Órthaí) was dedicated to St. Catherine and it was a chapel-of-ease to Donaghpatrick, c. 3.5km to the SSE (Ellison 1973, 9). At that time it was long in disrepair but the graveyard was enclosed. The foundations (int. dims 13.5m E-W; 5.35m N-S) of a rectangular structure with a probable doorway in the N wall and another in the S wall are in a D-shaped graveyard (dims c. 33m NE-SW; c. 22m NW-SE) defined by masonry walls retaining the base of the hillock (H 1.3-2m) and with the straight side at NW formed by an earthen field bank and hedge. The graveyard was restored in 1998.

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: 12 December, 2014

References

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