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Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland

Ecclesiastical enclosure

Wheery, County Offaly, Ireland

Ordnance Survey six-inch map, 2nd edition (1888–1915) covering the location of Ecclesiastical enclosure, Wheery, County Offaly, with a pin at the register's coordinates
Ordnance Survey six-inch map, 2nd edition (1888–1915), covering this location. Courtesy of the National Library of Scotland. The pin is ours, placed from the register's coordinates.

The record

Townland
Wheery
County
Offaly
Country
Ireland
First-edition OS map
NULL
Latest-edition OS map
Indicated
Coordinates
53.25962, -7.81541
SMR number
OF014-040002-

Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.

David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

4 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1790 map "Composite: Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).

Historical maps covering this location

  • 1790 · Composite: Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1811 · Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1869 · Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1891 · Ireland 16 (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)

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This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on the low-lying flood plains of the river Brosna. Ruins of a simple rectangular church (OF014-040001-) built with irregularly coursed limestone blocks giving the masonry a cyclopean appearance often found on early medieval churches. A bronze bell and its shrine were found in the nearby river in 1849 and were locally associated with the church (JRSAI 1868-9 Vol. 19, 347-8). A large semi-circular enclosure (approx. int. diam. 190m N-S ; 310m E-W) runs off the River Brosna which acts as an enclosing element on its S side with church located in centre of enclosure. During the winter months this enclosure floods acting as a waterfilled moat around the church. It appears to have originally consisted of an inner bank now mainly levelled and a wide flat bottomed fosse. This was the site of 'the ancient monastery of Kilwheery' (Anon 1868-9, 347).

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.

Date of upload: 23 May 2011

Nearby in the register

Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.

Sites and Monuments Record data: National Monuments Service, Government of Ireland, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Record text is reproduced unchanged. National Monuments Service, Government of Ireland · CC BY 4.0
All Ecclesiastical enclosure in Offaly All County Offaly records All Ireland Heritage registers Historical markers (US)National Register of Historic Places (US)
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