Church

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated in flat pastureland in Brittas Demesne. The church (dims. 19m x 7.55m; wall T 0.75-85m) is situated in the NW angle of a square-shaped graveyard (TN041-007001) and is constructed of roughly coursed limestone rubble. The N wall survives to a height of 2.4m. A breach in the centre of this wall has been blocked up with masonry and internally the wall is largely obscured by ivy. The E gable survives almost to an apex, c. 5m high. It has a single, narrow, round-headed window (L c. 1m; W c. 0.15m) with jambs of roughly cut blocks of limestone and a single piece of stone forming the head set into a round-headed embrasure. The jambs are crudely dressed with vertical lines. Both internally and externally the E gable is crudely repointed. The S wall survives to a height of 2.7m with no features visible. A break at the E end of the S wall has been rebuilt to provide a flush surface. The corresponding end of the E gable is also rebuilt giving a gap of 1.85m which is the only access to the interior. A breach (L 4m) at the W end of the S wall is filled with masonry - this may have been the original entrance. The W gable (H 2m) is the lowest surviving wall and is obscured by ivy. The W wall of the church also forms the W wall of the graveyard. The N wall of the graveyard continues on the line of the N wall of the church but is not keyed-in. The graveyard is entered through a round-headed arch in the E wall with engaged pillars on either side. The earliest visible headstone in the graveyard dates to 1782 and commemorates James Sweeney, a worker on the estate. Other gravestones are predominantly Knoxs and Langleys of nineteenth-century date. A number of crude gravemarkers are also present. This appears to be an estate church with no visible evidence of medieval origin. Marked as 'church in ruins' on the 1st ed. (1843) OS 6-inch map, however, there is no entry in the OS Letters.

The above description is derived from 'The Archaeological Inventory of County Tipperary. Vol. 1 - North Tipperary' compiled by Jean Farrelly and Caimin O'Brien (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2002). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload/revision: 22 September 2008