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Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland

Church

Rataine, County Meath, Ireland

Ordnance Survey six-inch map, 2nd edition (1888–1915) covering the location of Church, Rataine, County Meath, with a pin at the register's coordinates
Ordnance Survey six-inch map, 2nd edition (1888–1915), covering this location. Courtesy of the National Library of Scotland. The pin is ours, placed from the register's coordinates.

The record

Townland
Rataine
County
Meath
Country
Ireland
First-edition OS map
Church
Latest-edition OS map
Church (in Ruins)
Coordinates
53.60573, -6.74854
SMR number
ME030-011----

Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.

David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

4 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1790 map "Composite: Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).

Historical maps covering this location

  • 1790 · Composite: Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1799 · Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1811 · Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1891 · Ireland 16 (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)

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This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗

The National Monuments Service's description

Located on a rise in a fairly level landscape. A church at Rathyn is listed in the ecclesiastical taxation (1302-06) of Pope Nicholas IV (Cal. doc. Ire. 5, 256). Ussher (1622) describes the church and chancel of the parish church of Ratayne as ruined, and this is confirmed by Dopping (1682-5) when the graveyard was not enclosed (Ellision 1972, 12). The grass-covered foundations or low walls of an undivided nave and chancel church (int. dims 21.3m WNW-ESE; 5.65m NNE-SSW) survive together with the W gable (ext. L 7.3m) that has a base-batter. The gable has a double-light ogee-headed window with an external square hood moulding, and there is a double belfry overhead. The graveslab of Richard Bedlow (Bellew) dated 1601 and described by Conwell (1873, 381-2) is no longer present. The site of the deserted settlement (ME030-011001-) is around the rectangular graveyard (dims c. 45m WNW-ESE; c. 30m NNE-SSW) defined by masonry walls.

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: 5 January 2015

References

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

Conwell, E. A. 1873 A ramble round Trim. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, vol. 12, 361-430.

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.

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

Nearby in the register

Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.

Sites and Monuments Record data: National Monuments Service, Government of Ireland, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Record text is reproduced unchanged. National Monuments Service, Government of Ireland · CC BY 4.0
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