Church

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated at the bottom of a N-facing slope with the W-E River Deel c. 35m to the N. A church at Killyon is listed in the ecclesiastical taxation (1302-06) of Pope Nicholas IV (Cal. doc. Ire., 5, 257). Ussher describes the church and chancel of Killian as ruinous (Erlington 1847-64, xcix). According to Dopping (1683-5) only the church walls were standing and it was not enclosed (Ellison 1973, 10). The parish church of Killyon is within a subrectangular graveyard (dims c. 40m N-S; c. 35m E-W) that has only modern boundaries of wooden and wire fences. The graveyard has headstones dating from 1757 to 1977.
Only the E wall (T 0.95m) and parts of N (int. L 7.4m) and S (int. L 6.2m) walls survive to any extent (max. H 2.5m) of a single cell structure (int. dims 8.35m plus E-W; 5m N-S) that has a destroyed window embrasure (Wth 1.34m) in the E wall and another (Wth 1.43m) in the N wall. A headstone in the church erected in 1787 commemorates seven members of the 18th century Dominican friary at Donore (ME041-007----) c. 2km to the ENE, who are buried here, the earliest date being 1737 (Cogan 1862-70, 1, 309). The holy well (ME041-006002-) is c. 20m to the E.

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: 20 March, 2015

References

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

Fenning, Rev. H. 1963 The Dominicans of Trim, 1713-1833. Ríocht na Mídhe, 3, 1, 21-32.

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.

Cogan, Rev. A. 1862-70 Ecclesiastical history of the diocese of Meath: ancient and modern. (3 vols) Dublin: John Fowler, Joseph Dollard