Church

The National Monuments Service's description

This is an early ecclesiastical site identified as Echdruim mac nAedha which was burnt in 790 (AU vol. 1, 247) and 1398 (AU vol. 4, 41), and is listed as Ethdrum in the ecclesiastical taxation of Elphin in 1306 (Cal. doc. Ire., vol. 5, 224) as the parish church of Aughrim parish. Situated on a low drumlin overlooking Lough Nahircha (dims c. 1km E-W; c. 100-200m N-S), which is c. 500m to the ESE.
A rectangular structure (int. dims 8.1m E-W; 4.4m N-S) with a doorway (Wth 1.1m) in the W gable but no other architectural features. The re-built walls (T 0.65m; H 2.5-3.2m) incorporate late medieval punch-dressed stones and a small cross-slab (RO017-084005-) (dims 0.3m x 0.2m), now built into the inner face of the E wall. This is Old Red Sandstone with an incised ringed cross and a radial inscription '..n gal..' in the spandrels (Herity et al. 1997, 114). The structure, which was known locally as Beech abbey (RO017-034003-) in 1837 (O'Flanagan 1931, 37), is within a rectangular graveyard (RO017-084002-) (dims 71m E-W; 35.5-38m N-S) containing 18th - 20th century headstones and which is defined by masonry walls. This is within traces of an outer ecclesiastical enclosure (RO017-084004-) (diam. c. 90m) defined by a scarp (H 0.2m at E to 0.6m at S) NE-S. Moated site (R017-085----) is c. 200m to the SE.

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 24 August 2010

References

AU - Annála Uladh, The Annals of Ulster; otherwise Annála Senait, Annals of Senat; a chronicle of Irish affairs, 431-1131, 1155-1541, ed. W.M. Hennessy and B. MacCarthy, (4 vols., Dublin 1887-1901)

Cal. doc. Ire. - Calendar of documents relating to Ireland 1171-1307, ed. H.S. Sweetman (5 vols., London, 1875-86).

Herity, M., Kelly, D. and Mattenberger, U. 1997 List of Early Christian cross-slabs in seven north-western counties. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 127, 89-124.

O'Flanagan, Rev. M. (Compiler) 1931 Letters containing information relative to the antiquities of the county of Roscommon collected during the progress of the
Ordnance Survey in 1837. Bray.