Graveyard

The National Monuments Service's description

In pasture, on top of high ground with good views of the surrounding countryside. A roughly oval-shaped graveyard (int. dims. 62m E-W; 44m N-S) enclosed by a 19th century stone wall with entrance gate and stile on N side. Ivy-clad ruins of medieval church (WM013-002----) stands in N quadrant of graveyard. A bullaun stone (WM013-002003-) and stone cross (WM013-002002-) the upper portion of which is now missing are located within the graveyard. In 1864 George Du Noyer painted a watercolour of Kilpatrick church showing the stairs turret on the NW angle of the church (Du Noyer Sketches VI (45), Royal Irish Academy). No graveyard wall is shown on this illustration which suggests that the graveyard wall was constructed some time after 1864. The watercolour sketch of the church and its ground plan can be viewed online on the Prints & Drawings Catalogue of the Royal Irish Academy at www.ria.ie/Library/Catalogue. A large quarry hole is located immediately to the NW of the graveyard and the upcast from the quarrying has formed an earthwork around the edge of the quarry. The curving earthwork of a post-medieval road can be seen in the field to the N of the church and graveyard. This earthwork represents the remains of a roadway used by carts transporting quarried stone from the quarry down to the public road to the NW of the church and graveyard. It is likely that this quarry was used in the medieval period to supply stone for the construction of the church. The graveyard contains memorials dating from the 18th to recent times. To the S of the church in the S quadrant of the graveyard are clear rows of unmarked headstones. In some instances architectural fragments from the church have been reused as gravemarkers.

Compiled by: Caimin O’Brien

Date of upload: 28 March 2014