Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Ecclesiastical enclosure
Portnashangan, County Westmeath, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Portnashangan
- County
- Westmeath
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Latest-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Coordinates
- 53.58699, -7.38377
- SMR number
- WM012-086002-
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 4 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1790 "Composite: Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
Situated at N end of ridge running N-S overlooking Lough Owel 300m to the SW. Ringfort (WM012-087----) 60m to E with another ringfort (WM012-098----) 70m to SW. The ruins of Portnashangan church (WM012-086----) stands in the centre of a circular-shaped graveyard (WM012-086001-) enclosed by an earthen bank and faced with a stone wall of post-1700 appearance. The enclosing earthen bank sits on top of the stone wall suggesting contemporaneity rather than dating from the Early Christian period.
Described in 1980 as following; ‘a small subcircular graveyard which is surrounded by a bank with a stone wall built against its outer face. There are a few 19th century headstones in the burial ground. No earthworks visible’ (SMR File 23/10/1980). According to Swan (1988, 10) the segmental form of the graveyard boundary wall suggested the presence of an Early Christian ecclesiastical enclosure.
Compiled by: Caimin O’Brien
Date of upload: 20 August 2015
References
Swan, D.L. 1988 The Early Christian ecclesiastical sites of County Westmeath. In J. Bradley (ed.), Settlement and society in Medieval Ireland: studies presented to F.X. Martin O.S.A., 1-31. Kilkenny. Boethius Press.
Nearby in the register
- Graveyardunder 1 mi
- Churchunder 1 mi
- Ringfort - unclassifiedunder 1 mi
- Castle - motteunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.