Church

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on a prominent flat-topped knoll with a S-N section of the River Boyne c. 80m to the E. It is described as ruined by Ussher in 1622 (Erlington 1847, vol. 1, App. 5, lxxx), and Dopping (1682-5) lists Drinadaly as one of the chapels of St Patrick’s parish church in Trim (ME036-048012-) (Ellison 1972, 8). There is a small chapel or mortuary enclosure (int. dims 5.4m E-W; 4m N-S) with slight walls (Wth 0.5m; H 1.8m). The W gable has a slate on the inside commemorating Archibald O’Reilly with the date 1820, when the enclosure was probably built. There is a small pointed opening (Wth 0.47m; H 0.68m) in the S wall, while a porch projecting 0.7m from the E wall has a pointed doorway (Wth 0.9m; H 1.95m). There is no indication of an older structure. An octagonal piece of stone (dim. 0.43m; H 0.23m) may be part of the base of a font (SMR file, 1969), but it was not noted in 2004, and a small bowl (ext. diam. 0.33m; H 0.25m) with lugs (SMR file, 1969) is also missing. The church was within a subrectangular graveyard (dims c. 38n N-S; c. 28m E-W) defined by masonry walls around the mound that might originally have been a motte (ME036-035002-).

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.

Date of revision: 16 February 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.

SMR file - Sites and monuments record files in the National Monuments Service, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

Erlington, C.R. 1847-64 The whole works of the Rev. James Ussher, D.D., Lord Archbishop of Armagh, and primate of all Ireland, 16 vols. Dublin. Hodges and Smith.