Graveyard

The National Monuments Service's description

Within the SE quadrant of an ecclesiastical enclosure (SL045-011003-). A rectangular area (48.6m WNW-ESE; 38.2m NNE-SSW) enclosed by a modern stone wall with a recent extension to the E (18m WNW-ESE) enclosed by a concrete wall. The church (SL045-011001-) is just S of the centre of the interior. A drop in ground level in the S third of the graveyard, c. 4m S of the church, is marked by a scarp (H 0.5m) which extends E-W across the full length of the graveyard. The majority of headstones date to the late 19th and 20th centuries but interspersed amongst them are several uninscribed grave-markers, some in N-S rows. In the W half are five small rectangular grave-plots (the largest measuring 8.4m x 5.65m) defined by roughly built drystone walls (H c. 0.8m) incorporating some stones possibly robbed from the church and, according to local information, some stone from a leacht cuimhne (SL045-011004-). Attached to the wall of one of these grave-plots is a late 18th/ early 19th-century plaque (Wth 0.45m; H 0.87m), with the dates of 1732 and 1733 (pers. comm. M. B. Timoney), depicting the crucifixion above a coat of arms. In 1836 it was recorded that the graveyard was known as 'Temple-Ronaun' (OSNB vol. 1, 490) which is pronounced 'Teampul Ronan' (pers. comm. M. A. Timoney).

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