Graveyard

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on a N-S ridge which slopes steeply to the S in an upland area with a nearby ringfort (TN029-005----) to the W. The poorly preserved remains of a small rectangular church (TN029-006001-) stand in the N quadrant of a sub-rectangular shaped graveyard (approx. dims. 44m N-S; 66m E-W) that is enclosed at W by a modern wall and elsewhere by a scarp which is faced externally by a stone wall and outer fosse (Wth 1-2m; D 0.5-1m). A graveyard clean up scheme carried out by FÁS in the late 1990s uncovered two quern stones, several architectural fragments belonging to the medieval church including the head of a single light and twin-light ogee-headed windows (O'Brien 2000, 191-2). A small rotary quernstone was found embedded into the surface of the graveyard to the N of the church (TN029-006001-). A second small quernstone (diam. 0.42m; T 0.07m; hole diam. 0.09m) and single light ogee-headed window of late medieval date have been inserted into the fabric of the S wall of the church in recent times. Other architectural fragments and dressed stone belonging to the medieval church have been incorporated into the fabric of the graveyard wall. The graveyard contains memorials dating from the post-medieval period onwards. Several architectural fragments of the medieval church lie scattered around the graveyard. Some of these fragments have been inserted into the graveyard surface and were possibly reused as grave markers. Other architectural fragments and dressed stone belonging to the medieval church have been incorporated into the fabric of the graveyard wall .

Compiled and revised by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of revised upload: 17 February 2015

References

O'Brien, R. 2000 New archaeological finds at Killea Graveyard. Tipperary Historical Journal, 191-2.