Church

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated at the E edge of a plateau overlooking a SSE-NNW section of the River Boyne, which is c. 150m to the NE. According to the ecclesiastical taxation (1302-06) of Pope Nicholas IV a chapel at De Baliresk was attached to the church of Navan (Cal. doc. Ire, 5, 256). A house with 2.75 acres called Chapell lands were amongst the possessions of St. Mary's abbey in Navan (ME025-024----) at the Suppression in 1540 (White 1943, 252). A church or church land adjacent to the River Boyne at Ballreask is depicted on the Down Survey (1656 8) barony map of Navan, and Dopping's Visitation (1682 5) refers to a church here (Ellison 1972, 11).
It is marked as a small feature described as the site of an old chapel on the 1836 ed. of the OS 6-inch map where it is situated towards the N angle of a lightly outlined area (dims c. 40m NE-SW; c. 40m NW-SE) described as a ‘Burying Ground’ on the same map. The graveyard is depicted as a rectangular hachured feature (dims c. 40m NE-SW; c. 35m NW-SE) on the OS 25-inch map. There are no visible remains of a monument in an area now largely buried under a yard. For the Down Survey barony map see this web-page accessed on 26 June, 2014. http://downsurvey.tcd.ie/down-survey-maps.php#bm=Navan&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: 17 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.

White, N.B. 1943 Extents of Irish monastic possessions, 1540-1541. Dublin. Irish Manuscripts Commission.

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