Church

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated in an undulating landscape. The parish church of Killallon is within a rectangular graveyard (dims c. 75m E-W; c. 60m N-S) defined by a slight earthen bank inside masonry walls, which form the townland boundary with Loughanderg on every side except the S. A church at Killalon is listed in the ecclesiastical taxation (1302-06) of Pope Nicholas IV (Cal. doc. Ire. 5, 259). Cogan (1862-70, 2, 287) says the church was dedicated to St. Bartholomew. Ussher (1622) describes the church and chancel as somewhat ruinous (Erlington 1847-64, 1, cxvii). According to Dopping’s visitation (1682-5) the church and chancel were ruined, although the graveyard was enclosed (Ellison 1975, 9).
This is a divided nave (int. dims 16 E-W; 5.95m N-S) and chancel (int. dims 9m E-W; 5m N-S) structure with walls that survive (H c. 1.2m) completely, but the nave walls are drystone with a modern entrance (Wth 1.35m) in the N wall and a narrower entrance in the S. The chancel walls (T 0.8m) are mortared, and the chancel appears to have been added to the nave. There is a holy water stoup on the S nave wall. Archaeological excavation (93E0027) of the earthen bank revealed a stone wall (Wth 0.45m; H 0.5m) at it is core (Meenan 1995). The graveyard is now extended to the S (dims c. 75m E-W; c. 25m N-S), and the motte (ME022-) is c. 90m SW of the church.

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: 16 December, 2014

References

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.

Meenan, R. 1995 Killallon churchyard, Boherard. Graveyard. in I. Bennett (ed.) Excavations 1993: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 63, No. 179. Bray, Wordwell

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