Church

The National Monuments Service's description

The medieval ruins of the church (OF008-009001-) of Kilbride [Cill Bhríde], known locally as ‘St. Bridget’s Abbey’ forms the N boundary of Kilbride graveyard (OF008-009003-) with the site of a possible convent standing along W boundary of graveyard 60m S of the abbey church ruins (OSL 1840, 134). To the NE of the convent site there are the wall footings of a rectangular building possibly a medieval church which stood along the N boundary of Kilbride graveyard before it was enlarged to the N and S in the post-medieval period.
Cogan (1867, 496) recorded that a 'church and convent were founded here by St. Bridget, and there is a tradition amongst the people that this was the first church erected by her after her religious profession, on the hill of Usny [Uisneach]'. The ruins of two ecclesiastical buildings are shown at this location in the townland of ‘Kilbride & Killocollni/Killecolline’ on the 1654-57 Down Survey map of Kilcoursey Barony (NLI, MS 716). The terrier of the Down Survey map of Kilbride parish recorded that there were ‘the Ruines of two Churches’ (ibid.).
In the 19th century the stones from both ecclesiastical buildings were used to construct the Sisters of Mercy Convent (Saint Brigid’s, Kilcoursey) located 1km S of the graveyard. This event was described as following; ‘There are still some remains of an old monastery (OF008-009002-) and chapel; and the fragments of a church (OF008-009001-) in the cemetery, quite contiguous, measure fifty-two [15.85m] in length by twenty-four [7.3m]. Some years back, with the permission of the church-warden of that day, many of the stones of convent and church were carried away to build a house, and, by the providence of God, this house has been converted into a convent the Sisters of Mercy are living there to-day’ (Cogan 1867, 496).
Only the lower wall footings of this ecclesiastical building are visible in the graveyard. These walls are poorly constructed and survive approx. 0.35m high and have many gravestones inserted in its raised interior. The outline of this rectangular building orientated on an E-W axis measures 17.3m E-W by 8.3m N-S, with a wall thickness of 0.85m. These measurements would indicate a late medieval date of a possible church and probably represents one of the two churches depicted on the Down Survey maps.
Possible church site described in 1942 as following; ‘The graveyard (OF008-009003-) is a long strip of which the central part seems the oldest and is the most raised. The ‘convent’ [OF008-009002-) consists of several poorly built walls up to 5’ [1.5m] high. I can make nothing of them, and they have no features; they suggest a series of grave enclosures rather than a monastic building. The old church must have been near them on the highest part of the mound; there are no remains save for one door-jamb’ (Oliver Davies ITA Survey).
Church remains described in 1977 as 'In the centre of the graveyard and partly obscured by burials is the outline of a rectangular mortared stone building. Only the wall footings survive and in places has disappeared. SW of this is a small rectangular building approx. 2m high. This has a small rectangular annexe. There are no cut stones visible. The significance of this small structure is not apparent' (ASI file 1977).

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 revised upload: 02 May 2019

References

Irish Tourist Association. Surveys undertaken in the 1940s for the Irish Tourist Association (now Fáilte Ireland) relating to ‘Natural features, antiquities, historic associations etc.' Extracts from these surveys were copied into the Topographical files of the Office of Public Works and these have been incorporated into the Sites and Monuments Record files (National Monuments Service).

NLI, MS 716 - National Library of Ireland, The parish maps of the Down Survey, of Offaly attested by W. Petty, in 1657. Copied by Daniel O'Brien. A set of 33 maps with accompanying terriers in two volumes, 1786-7. Dublin.

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

OSL - Ordnance Survey Letters. Letters written by members of the Ordnance Survey's 'Topographical Department' (T. O'Conor, A. O'Curry, E. Curry, J. O'Donovan and P. O'Keeffe) sent to headquarters from the field (1834-41). MSS in Royal Irish Academy.