Graveyard

The National Monuments Service's description

A Hiberno-Romanesque church (TN018-001001) situated in centre of graveyard on a raised enclosure 1.2m above a partially enclosed island (TN018-001004) known as 'Inis na mBeo' or 'Island of the Living' in Monaincha Bog. Another monastic island with a church site (TN017-019002) is located c. 450m to the W. Possibly founded by the Augustinian canons around 1140 on the site of an earlier monastery (TN017-019002, TN018-001005) linked to St Canice of Aghaboe in the sixth century (Leask 1955, 129; Gleeson and Gwynn 1962, 53) and St Cronán in the seventh century (Gleeson and Gwynn 1962, 54). According to Gwynn and Hadcock (1970, 41) the church on this island was associated with St Hilaire/Hilary in or before the tenth century. The Augustinian regular canons arrived some time after 1140 and rebuilt the church of St Hilary, alias St Mary (ibid.). Around 1485 the Augustinians moved their priory to the nearby townland of Corbally (TN012-014) (ibid.). In 1568 Monaincha was described as the island of the living consisting of two chapels and near the island a village called Corbally in which the prior and convent dwelt with a church formerly of the priory and parish (ibid., 167).
The church, orientated E-W, consists of a nave and chancel with priest's quarters built onto the N wall of the nave. The nave is entered through a round-headed doorway with three square-sectioned orders surmounted by a large roll-mould over the doorhead and three-sided outer pilaster in the W gable. The doorway itself widens towards the base. The two inner orders on the N side have been mostly replaced by plain blocks, also the inner arch has plain blocks inserted. The orders are decorated with chevrons, scrollwork and roll-mouldings with pellets and floral patterns. On the S side of the doorway there is an inscription 'ORDOT... and O F' (Stout 1984, 93).

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien.

Date of upload: 22 September 2008