Church

The National Monuments Service's description

On a slight natural rise of ground in undulating countryside with good views in all directions. Located 180m E of the Pass of Kilbride. Church (WM034-002001-) in centre of graveyard (WM034-002003-) with St. Bridget’s Well (WM034-001----) 70m to the N and motte castle (WM034-003----) 90m to the SSE. In 1976 only the barely discernible outline or low grassy mounds of a levelled rectangular church could be identified (SMR File). Present remains consist of a rectangular church (int. dims. 13.15m E-W; 5.6m N-S; wall T 0.9m) the walls (H 1.4m) of which have been mainly rebuilt in 1991 based on date cut into concrete capping at NW angle of church. A rebuilt gap (Wth 0.87m) located off centre to W in the S wall presumably marks the location of the original doorway into the church. A line of post-1700 memorials have been re-erected along the inner face of the W gable of the church. A modern altar (dims. 1.8m N-S; 1m E-W; H 0.85m) has been built up against the centre of the inner face of the E gable. A window jamb with iron bar hole visible has been inserted vertically into the ground to the S of the altar. A second window jamb (Wth 0.23m) was also inserted vertically into the ground to the N of the altar. There is a gap (Wth 0.83m) at the N end of the W wall which appears to be modern. A defaced square-shaped font (WM032-002004-) has been cemented into the surface of the graveyard (WM034-002003-) presumably at the same time as the church walls were rebuilt. On the 1656-9 Down Survey parish map of the Pass of Kilbride (‘Pacekilbride’), the lands of the Pass of Kilbride belonged to Nicholas Darcy in 1640, an Irish papist (NLI MS 723-4). No church building is depicted on the 1656-9 Down Survey map. Traces of earthworks in field to the N and S of the church and graveyard are visible on Bing Maps aerial photographs taken between 06-07 November 2011 (www.bing.com/maps).

See attached word document with Bing Maps aerial photograph taken from www.bing.com/maps showing earthworks in field to the N and S of the church and graveyard.

Compiled by: Caimin O’Brien

Date of upload: 29 July 2013

References

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.