Church

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on a fairly level landscape. This is an early ecclesiastical site but no recorded history is attached to it, although this may be because it is confused with a church site at Kiltoom, Co. Westmeath (WM007-008----), which has no remains or associations (Gwynn and Had cock 1970, 395; Swan 1988, 21, No. 67). The deaths of some of the abbots of Ceall Tuama are recorded from the mid 7th to the late 8th centuries (Ó Riain et al. 2011, 56). Kiltoom is said to have been founded by St Nennidh Láimhiodhan – of the pure hand - an early saint who was connected with the Ceinéal Laoighre of Meath (Ó Riain 2011, 516).

The grass-covered foundations of a church (dims 15m E-W; 8m N-S; H 0.4m), probably with opposing doorways towards the W end, is within an oval, grass-covered enclosure (dims 75m WNW-ESE; 50m NNE-SSW) defined by an earthen bank (Wth 3.5-6m; int. H 0.3-0-.6m; ext. H 0.9-1.5m), with an external fosse (at N: Wth of top 8m; Wth of base 3m; ext. D 1.1m) and an outer bank (at N: Wth 6m; ext. H 0.5m) that are absent SSE-SW. There is an entrance through the inner (Wth 3m) and outer (Wth 6.6m) banks at SW and another entrance at SE. Just W of the church is the grass-covered foundations of a building (dims 5.7m N-S; 5m E-W) with an entrance gap (Wth 1.6m) at N. There is no evidence of burial, but locally it is thought that burial has not occurred for over a hundred years. There is a house (dims c. 8m NE-SW; c. 5m NW-SE) represented by low grass-covered earthen banks outside the enclosure to the ENE. An outer ecclesiastical enclosure (dims. c. 200m E-W; c. 140m N-S) defined by a low earthen bank and fosse NW-ENE is incorporated into a field bank ENE-ESE and traceable as a fosse ESE-SSW. The field system (ME036-012----) is attached to the S.

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: 16 February 2015
Amended: 24 March 2024

References

Gwynn, A. and Hadcock, R.N. 1970 (Reprint 1988) Medieval religious houses of Ireland. Dublin. Irish Academic Press.

Swan, D.L. 1988 The Early Christian ecclesiastical sites of County Westmeath. In J. Bradley (ed.), Settlement and society in Medieval Ireland: studies presented to F.X. Martin O.S.A., 1-31. Kilkenny. Boethius Press.

Ó Riain, P. 2011 A dictionary of Irish Saints. Dublin. Four Courts Press.

Ó Riain, P., Ó Murchadha, D. and K. Murray 2011 Historical Dictionary of Gaelic placenames: Foclóir Stairiúil Áitainmneacha na Gaeilge. Fascicle 4. London, The Irish Texts Society.