Church

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on elevated pasture at N end of N-S ridge overlooking Lough Owel 300m to the SW. Only the NW angle (approx. L 0.7m x H 1.7m) of the church (approx. ext. dims. 16m E-W x 6m N-S) survives upstanding, elsewhere the outline of the building is indicated by low ivy-covered wall footings visible in the centre of a sub-circular-shaped graveyard (WM012-086001-). Ringfort (WM012-087----) 60m to E with a second ringfort (WM012-098----) 70m to SW. The NW angle of the church was constructed with alternating long and short quoins with no dressed stone visible. Described in 1980 as following; ‘The grass covered wall footings of a rectangular building measuring approx. 14m by 7m. There is no obvious sign of an internal division into nave and chancel. No decorated or cut stones are visible’ (SMR File 23/10/1980). In 1978 the NW corner of the church was described as still standing to a height of c. 3m and covered with ivy (SMR File 14/08/1978). The terrier of the 1656-9 Down Survey parish map of Portnashangan recorded that there was ‘at Portnesangan the Walls of a Church’ (NLI MS 723-4). In 1631 David Thomas was presented to the rectory of Castlecor and vicarages of Portneshangan and Raconnell’ (Cal. pat. rolls Ire., Chas I, 577). According to Woods (1907, 81) ‘the old church measures forty feet (12m) by seventeen (5m)’.

Compiled by: Caimin O’Brien

Date of upload: 20 August 2015

References

Cal. pat. rolls Ire., Chas I - Calendar of patent and close rolls of chancery of Ireland, of the reign of Charles I, years 1 to 8 inclusive, ed. James Morrin (Dublin, 1863)

NLI, MS 723-4 - National Library of Ireland, The parish maps of the Down Survey for the County of Westmeath, attested by W. Petty, in 1659. Copied by Daniel O'Brien. A set of 67 maps with accompanying terriers in two volumes, 1786-7. Dublin.

Woods, J. (ed.) 1907 Annals of Westmeath ancient and modern. Dublin. Sealy, Bryers & Walker.