Old Clonduff Church and Graveyard

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Rectangular churchyard to E side of the junction of Kilkeel/ Clonduff roads within which are the ruins of a church aligned W-E.

The church is rectangular in plan. Its walls are of uncoursed rubble fieldstone, all c1m thick. West wall stands c1m high. North wall stands 0.5m high. South wall stands c2m high but is unstable as outer skin has collapsed; traces of lime plaster internally. East end has a full gable instepped towards top on inner face. Its N and S ends have partially collapsed. There are putlog holes on internal face. To centre is a large rectangular window opening with splayed reveals and cill c1.5m above ground level.

The churchyard has numerous memorials, mostly from 19th C, located to the W, S and E of the church. Abutting outside of E gable, laid flat is a finely dressed sandstone slab. Its head has a coat of arms and its edge is dressed with an ogee mould. Incised upon it is: “HERE LYETH THE BO (DY) / (OF CA)PTN ARTHUR MAGENIS / (DEPART)ED THIS LIFE THE 15TH DAY / ANNO DOMINI 1737 IN TH (E FL) / (YEARS) OF HIS AGE “ In slightly thicker lettering below: “(HERE L)YETH THE BODY OF M(RS) / (CA)THERIN MAGENIS ALIAS HAL(L) / THE WIFE OF CAPTN ARTHUR / MAGENIS OF CABRAH WHO DEPA / RTED THIS LIFE YE 12TH DAY OF XM / 1713 IN YE FL YEARS OF HER AGE”

Beside this slab lies another broken memorial of similar size. Its inscription is unreadable, but applied to it is a small polished black granite panel which states “J O’Neill/ Patron of the INF/ Hilltown”. This would suggest that the earlier memorial is the O’Neill memorial (see historical notes).

At the end of this memorial is an upright schist slab inscribed: “ Here lieth the body of/ the Rt Rev Hugh/ McMullan Doctor in Divinity/ Late Romancatholic Bishop/ of Down and Connor who/ departed this life on/ the 7th of October 1794/ aged 74 years”.

At the SE corner of the church is a narrow, roughly dressed granite slab inscribed: “Here lieth/ the body/ of Patrick/ McBoywl/ Departed/ this life/ Mrh ye 6/ 1764”.

There are also several granite memorials inside the church proper.

Historical information

Church is marked as ruinous on the 1834 OS map. The Archaeological Survey states that this was the parish church of Clondyme (Cluain Daimh) or Clonduff, and is believed to be from the 16th or 17th C. Basset’s Directory states that it once owned by the Abbey of Bangor and that an antique chalice was excavated in 1832. It is also the burying place of John and Felix O’Neill who died in 1809. They are believed to be the descendants, in the male line, of the O’Neills of Ulster. Their gravestone is marked with the coat of arms of the O’Neills. The church was abandoned on the erection of St. Johns (C of I) Hilltown in 1762.

Primary Sources:
1. 1834 OS map (Down sheet 42).

Secondary Sources:
1. M. Jope (ed.), “An Archaeological Survey of County Down” p.299 (HMSO 1966).
2. G.H. Bassett, “County Down: a Guide and Directory” p.150 (1886).
3. Sites & Monuments Record No. DOW048:019

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Some gravestones of historical interest.