Ecclesiastical enclosure

The National Monuments Service's description

On a gentle N-facing slope in a small wooded area surrounded by marsh and rough meadow, in the Glen of Aherlow at the foot of the Galty mountains. St. Berrihert's Well is located c. 170m to SE. It is named after St. Berichter, a Saxon saint, founder of Tullylease, Co.Cork who came to Ireland in the late 7th century (Ó hÉailidhe 1967, 104). The saint's pattern day is on the 18th of February and prayers were said at the Kyle and the well (Ó hÉailidhe 1967, 105). Oval area (diam. 35.4m NE-SW; 26m NW-SE) defined by an earth and stone bank (Wth 2.45-3.3m; int. H 0.31-0.66m; ext. H 1.08m) which is referred to locally as the Kyle (Ó hÉailidhe 1967, 103). In S sector of enclosure there is a modern oval construction (int. dims. 5.5m x 9.5m) of mortared stone (wall T 1.1m), quite a crude structure built by the OPW in 1946 (ibid., 102) to display the cross-slabs and protect them from cattle damage. This modern enclosure is accessed by a style with steps in the W quadrant, the outer steps have partially collapsed and include a re-used stone with a deliberate groove. At the same time the larger enclosure was defined by kerb stones and a number of small heaps of stone, each surmounted by a cross-inscribed slab, was erected at intervals on the bank (ibid. 103). These constructions, however, never formed part of the annual devotions (ibid., 103). In the centre of the interior there are a number of small upright stones which mark the burial places of unbaptised infants (ibid., 103).
According to Ó hÉailidhe (103) there were seventy-two slabs (TS074-010008- to TS074-010078-) identified. There is also the head of a high-cross (TS074-010003-), the base of a cross with a bullaun-like depression (TS074-010004-), another cross-base (TS074-010080-) and fragment of a quernstone. Of the church (TS074-010001-) which once occupied the enclosure there are no visible remains and during the work carried out by the OPW in the 1940s 'no remains of old walls or foundations were found anywhere within the Kyle, the material for the stone wall having to be imported' (ibid., 103).
Ó hÉailidhe (1967, 102-126) identified seventy-two cross-inscribed slabs at St. Berrihert's Kyle. Nineteen had previously been identified and recorded by Crawford (1909, 60-62; 1912, 241-2). The majority of these have been inserted into the stone enclosure built by the OPW in 1946 (ibid. 102), while of the remainder, one per stone heap was inserted on top of several small heaps of stones or 'stations' constructed around the bank of the larger enclosure (ibid. 103). At the time of inspection seventy of the slabs could be identified, including nine (TS074-010018-; TS074-010034-; TS074-010035-; TS074-010051-; TS074-010053-; TS074-010057-; TS074-010068-; TS074-010072- and TS074-010076-) associated with the small heaps. Two slabs which could not be identified are numbered and illustrated in Ó hÉailidhe's catalogue as 4 (TS074-010010-) and 48 (TS074-010054-) (ibid. 109-110, 116- 117). All the slabs are sandstone, most have two fairly level faces and irregular edges with the decoration executed by pocking, though false-relief is also employed (ibid. 122-3). Ó hÉailidhe (ibid. 123) noted that twenty-eight of the slabs have crosses on both faces. Only one slab (TS074-010007-) bears an inscription (ibid. 120-122). The slabs range in date from the 7th to the 9th century (ibid. 125-6).

Compiled by: Jean Farrelly

Date of upload: 07 July 2014

The 'Crosses and Carved Slabs at St. Berihert's Kyle' are subject to a preservation order made under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014 (PO no. 76/1939).

References

Ó hÉailidhe, P. 1967 The crosses and slabs at St. Berrihert's Kyle in the Glen of Aherlow. In E. Rynne (ed.), North Munster Studies, 102-126. Limerick. The Thomond Archaeology Society.

Crawford, H.S. 1909 Some early monuments in the Glen of Aherlow. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 39, 62-9.