2023:442 - Ballynakill Abbey, Galway

Conservation works took place at Ballynakill Abbey (RMP No. GA007-035), Glinsk, County Galway, in 2022 and 2023, under Ministerial Consent No. C001093 (Finds Reg. No. E005414). The works were funded by The Heritage Council and all of the works were overseen by a Conservation Architect. A number of visits by the writer took place during the works. A previous FÁS graveyard scheme was monitored at the site by the writer in 1997.

The monument consists of a medieval parish church (RMP No. GA007-035) and attached chapel, which are located within an enclosure (RMP No. GA007-035002) and a graveyard (RMP No. GA007-035001). Marked burials are located within the church and the chapel.

The overgrown remains of the church consist of a section of its south wall with attached west gable, and the east end of the north wall and attached section of east gable. The attached roofless chapel stands to its full height. It has ashlar quoins and cut and dressed limestone features, including a doorway in the north wall and a large blocked-up tracery window in the south gable. Internally, the south gable has an effigy of William Burke and a monument to Sir John Burke, both of which were erected in 1722. The interior was overgrown and contained two stockpiles of stone from the 1997 works.

A number of stockpiles of stone were investigated at the beginning of the 2022 works: the two located in the chapel, a third located at the western end of the exterior of the south gable of the chapel and a fourth located at the southern end of the exterior of the east wall of the chapel. These revealed a total of fourteen architectural fragments and cut and dressed blocks, including a quernstone fragment and the base of a column which had been uncovered during the 1997 works. In addition, a mullion was found within the embrasure of a window at the southern end of the east wall of the chapel and a tracery fragment was found in the graveyard to the east of the chapel.

Ivy was removed from the exterior of the south gable and the top of the wall was subsequently consolidated. Some consolidation was carried out around the Sir John Burke monument. The top of the southern end of the east wall, including the arch of the window ope directly below, was also consolidated during the works. Shrubs were removed from the interior of the chapel.

The 2023 works consisted of the consolidation of the north wall of the chapel, the east gable and attached north wall of the church and the three window embrasures in the east and west walls of the chapel.

A grass-covered mound of rubble located at the northern end of the exterior of the east wall of the chapel was investigated. It measured 3.2m x 2m x 0.5-0.9m high. It consisted of soil and rubble and contained plastic, a modern glass bottle, a modern metal coffin handle, a human bone fragment and two cut stones. Four further architectural fragments and two decorated graveslab fragments were found during consolidation of the walls.