Graveyard

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on a very gentle SE-facing slope with good views to the E and S. A nave (int. dims. c. 12.5m x c. 5m) and possibly earlier chancel (min. int. dims. 6.5m x 4.3m) standing on a low subrectangular platform (L 27m; Wth 10m) at the N end of a modern rectangular graveyard. Only the chancel walls (H 2-2.4m; T 0.8m), of uncoursed granite blocks, survive. The line of the N nave wall (T 0.80m) can be traced to a point 10m W of the chancel and a single granite block may represent the W extremity. Against the S wall of the chancel are several cross-slabs; (WI003-028005-) a slab (H 1.14m) decorated with cup and ring marks and other ornamentation; (WI003-028006-) a slab (H 0.95m) with a Latin cross in shallow relief, circles at the top and arm ends, and semicircular curves in the space below the arms; (WI003-028007-) a small slab (H 0.49m) with a simple incised Latin cross. Also at this location is the head of a small Tau cross (WI003-028008-) (H 0.24m; T 0.15m; Wth across arms 0.49m) with a central boss on both faces (Harbison 1992, 128) and parts of the upper stones of two rotary querns. There is a granite cross-base (WI003-028001-) outside the S wall of the chancel (0.27m x 0.17m) but the head of another stone cross (WI003-028009-) formerly to the SW of the church (Ó Ríordáin 1947, 84) was removed to the National Museum of Ireland (Healy 2009, 97 (No.44)). Healy (2009, 84 (No. 21)) supplies a 1992 photograph of an erect slab with a central circular depression, girdled by a raised band with an apparently equal-armed cross above (WI003-028010-). A portion of the circular enclosure (diam. c. 50m) shown on the 1838 OS 6-inch map survives to the W of the graveyard. A much larger enclosure (dims. 80m N-S; 100m E-W) is defined by a curving earth and stone bank (Wth 2.5m; H 1m) from S (along the S line of the modern graveyard) to W. At the N and E this feature has been destroyed by quarrying. (O'Flanagan 1928, 1-2; Ó Ríordáin 1947, pl. XVIII, 84-5; Ó hÉailidhe 1957, 75-8; Price 1957, 290).

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Wicklow' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of revision: 25 January 2013

Revised by: Claire Breen

References

Price, L. 1957 The place-names of Co. Wicklow. V - The barony of Rathdown. The Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies (281-338).

Ó hÉailidhe, 1957 The Rathdown slabs. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 87, 75-88.

Ó Ríordáin, S.P. 1947 Miscellaneous discoveries in the Dublin neighbourhood. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 77, 84-5.

Harbison, P. 1992 The high crosses of Ireland: an iconographical and photographic survey, 3 vols. Dublin. Royal Irish Academy. Bonn. Dr. Rudolf Habelt GMBH.

Healy, P. 2009 Pre-Norman Grave-slabs and cross-inscribed stones in the Dublin Region. Local Studies Section. South Dublin Libraries, Tallaght.

O'Flanagan, Rev. M. (Compiler) 1928 Letters containing information relative to the antiquities of the county of Wicklow collected during the progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1838. Bray.