Church

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on a level landscape. A church at Moyamet is listed in the ecclesiastical taxation (1302-06) of Pope Nicholas IV (Cal. doc. Ire. 5, 256). Ussher (1622) says the church and chapel were repaired (Erlington 1847-64, 1, lxxxiii) but Dopping (1682-5) says the church was ruined since 1641 and the graveyard was not enclosed (Ellison 1972, 10). The parish church of Moymet is within a rectangular graveyard (dims c. 50m N-S; c. 45m E-W) defined by earthen banks with trees, and it has headstones dating from c. 1772.
This is a divided nave (int. dims 12m plus E-W; 5.95m N-S) and chancel (int. dims 6.75m E-W; 5.05m N-S) structure that survives almost complete (H c. 3.5m) except that the W wall and adjacent parts of the long walls are missing (surviving L 20m). A pointed doorway (Wth 1.18m; H 1.81m) with an outer hollow chamfer is towards the W end of the N wall but the stoup is removed from its E jamb internally. A doorway in the S wall opposite is destroyed, but there is evidence of a window embrasure W of this doorway. The single-light cusped ogee-headed window (Wth 0.34m; H 1.13m) under a square hood moulding to the E of the S doorway is mirrored by a less complete one on the N wall. A stairs was added internally to the NE angle of the nave that provided access to the rood-loft, and corbels and beam-holes for the screen are present on the N and S nave walls. A rectangular window in the S wall lit the area behind the screen.
A rood screen was essential in this church as there was no chancel arch. There are two window embrasures in the S chancel wall and one in the N wall but little of the dressed stone survives. There is a rectangular aumbry (Wth 0.41m; H 0.38m; D 0.38m) with chamfered edges at the E end of the S wall and there is a statue-niche (Wth 0.45m; H 1.62m; D 0.38m) near it in the E wall. The E wall has a three-light cusped ogee-headed window with open spandrels and a square hood moulding, which can be dated to the early 15th century (O’Neill 2002, 18-30, fig. 44). The castle (ME030-023----) is c. 100m to the SE, the stone house (ME030-023001-) is c. 70m to the SE and the gatehouse (ME030-022----) is c. 90m to the ENE.

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 8 January, 2014

References

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

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

O'Neill, M. 2002 The medieval parish churches in County Meath. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, 132, 1-56.