Church

The National Monuments Service's description

In pasture, on a W-facing slope; incorporated into the S wall of the garden of Killadoon House. Remains of a rectangular church (int. 17.3m E-W; 5.35m N-S), covered with scrub overgrowth. The walls (T 0.75m) are of random-rubble limestone and sandstone, bonded with lime mortar. The corners have interlocking limestone quoins and the NW corner has a slight base-batter and a foundation plinth (H 0.3m; Wth 0.2m). The N wall stands to a height of 3.6m but the NE and SW corners have collapsed. The splayed ingoing of a window is evident in the E wall. The S wall forms part of the S boundary of the walled garden. It has the chamfered base of a narrow light (Wth 0.14m) at its E end, and a blocked-up doorway (int. Wth 1.5m) at the W end of which a cut-limestone chamfered jamb and a pointed arch are visible through the overgrowth. The jamb is very weathered and appears to be punch dressed. The W wall has a large breach (Wth 3.1m) at ground level, midway along its length. The interior and parts of the exterior are inaccessible due to collapsed rubble and dense overgrowth.
This church belonged to the Premonstratensian Canons of Trinity Island, Lough Key, Co. Roscommon and the abbot of that monastery died here in 1504 (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 207). It also probably served as the parish church of Killadoon. A graveyard (SL034-131002-) lies immediately to S. There is a bullaun stone (SL034-131003--) in a farmyard to the N.

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Sligo' compiled by Ursula Egan, Elizabeth Byrne, Mary Sleeman with Sheila Ronan and Connie Murphy (Dublin Stationery Office, 2005).

Date of upload: 18 January 2008