Church

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on a fairly level landscape with a small WSW-ENE stream c. 200m to the S. A church at Cnockcaman is amongst the possessions of the Cistercian abbey of Mellifont in the ecclesiastical taxation (1302-06) of Pope Nicholas IV (Cal. doc. Ire. 254). At the Suppression (1540) the abbey had over 150 acres at Dromenhall, also known as the Newton of Knokamothan, where the abbey supplied the chaplain, Peter Rus (White 1943, 218 9). Ussher (1622) describes the church at Knockaman as indifferently repaired while the chancel was repaired (Erlington 1847-64, 1, lxvii). According to the Dopping (1682-5) and Regal (1693) visitations the church of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Knockommon had been out of repair since 1641. The walls of the church were still standing, but the graveyard was not enclosed (Ellison 1971, 36).
The small rectangular graveyard (dims c. 35-50 N-S; c. 30m E-W) is defined by earthen banks and hedges on every side except on the N where it has been extended by a strip (dims c. 80m ENE-WSW; c. 30m NNW-SSE), which extends off to the N and E. The old graveyard contains the remains of an ivy-covered rectangular undivided church (int. dims 17.8m E-W; 4.5m N-S) that survives almost complete, except much of the N wall. There are opposing doorways towards the W end of the N and S walls, that at S (Wth 1m) is pointed and has an external chamfer, although the apex is missing. The N doorway opposite survives to a height of c. 1m but there is no external chamfer. There is a square stoup in a niche inside the S doorway on the E side and an ogee-headed window (H 0.96m; Wth 0.3m) with glazing bar-holes is in the S wall further to the E. There is evidence of another destroyed window further E and an aumbry at the E end of the S wall. A large window in the E wall is destroyed, but there is a cupboard internally on the N side of the window.

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: 22 December, 2014

References

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

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

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