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Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland

Ecclesiastical enclosure

Clonaltra West, County Westmeath, Ireland

Ordnance Survey six-inch map, 2nd edition (1888–1915) covering the location of Ecclesiastical enclosure, Clonaltra West, County Westmeath, with a pin at the register's coordinates
Ordnance Survey six-inch map, 2nd edition (1888–1915), covering this location. Courtesy of the National Library of Scotland. The pin is ours, placed from the register's coordinates.

The record

Townland
Clonaltra West
County
Westmeath
Country
Ireland
First-edition OS map
Not indicated
Latest-edition OS map
Not indicated
Coordinates
53.35674, -7.78466
SMR number
WM036-042004-

Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.

David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

4 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1790 map "Composite: Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).

Historical maps covering this location

  • 1790 · Composite: Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1811 · Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1869 · Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1891 · Ireland 16 (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)

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This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗

The National Monuments Service's description

In grassland on NE facing slope of rising ground with good views to N and E. Poorly preserved remains of large roughly oval-shaped enclosure (dims. 100m N-S; 120m E-W) defined by an earthen bank mainly reduced to a scarp (H 0.6m) and outer fosse which is only visible on N side only, elsewhere it has been filled in. Depicted as a Grave Yard on the 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map. Two fragments of early Christian cross-slabs (WM036-042002-/007-) standing in group of trees containing bullaun stone (WM036-042003-) known as St. Patrick's knee stone in N quadrant of ecclesiastical enclosure. The interior of the enclosure is depicted as a graveyard (WM036-042006-) on the OS 6-inch map and local tradition records that this graveyard was also used as a children's burial ground (WM036-042008-). Site of holy well (WM036-042005-) dedicated to St. Patrick 290m to W. Large tree standing in SE quadrant of enclosure contains a some upright stones of unknown antiquity. There are the faintest traces of a smaller enclosure encircling this tree which may mark the site of the children's burial ground (WM032-042008-) (Swan 1988, 11).

Compiled by: Caimin O’Brien

Date of upload: 08 August 2014

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

Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.

Sites and Monuments Record data: National Monuments Service, Government of Ireland, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Record text is reproduced unchanged. National Monuments Service, Government of Ireland · CC BY 4.0
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