Graveyard

The National Monuments Service's description

Located on rise of ground with extensive views of undulating countryside. Depicted as a rectangular church (OF002-030001-) standing in the centre of an oval-shaped shaped graveyard (dims. 45m N-S; 56m E-W) on the 1838 ed. OS 6-inch map. On this map the curve of the public road immediately to the E and S of the graveyard probably follows the line of a possible Early Christian enclosure (OF002-030----) associated with Saint Manchan of Lemanaghan. The graveyard is enclosed by a stone wall (H 1.2m; T 0.4m) of post medieval date from S through W to NW only and elsewhere by a low earth and stone bank reduced to a scarp with remains of an external fosse at W. The graveyard is entered through an iron gateway located off centre to W in S wall of graveyard with remains of a stone stile visible in S wall located off centre to E. The graveyard contains memorials dating from the post-medieval period onwards. Early Christian cross-inscribed slab (OF002-03003-) two architectural fragments of a late medieval window, a quernstone, and a possible bullaun stone (OF002-030004-) found during a clean up of the graveyard in 1971 (Fanning and Ó hÉailidhe 1980, 13) have been built into SE angle and S wall of church.

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Offaly' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Compiled and revised by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of revision: 30 September 2014

References

Fanning, T. and Ó hÉailidhe, P. 1980 Some cross-inscribed slabs from the Irish Midlands. In H. Murtagh (ed.), Irish Midland studies: essays in commemoration of N.W. English, 5-23. Athlone. Old Athlone Society.