1989:042 - KILLERERIN CHURCH, Carrownamanagh, Galway

Killererin Church and graveyard are situated in the townland of Carrownamanagh in north Co. Galway about six miles south-east of Tuam. The site stands on the east slope of a hill and contains about 450 graves, dating from the 1700s to the present. It is surrounded by a wall measuring 109m x 49m x 81m x 226m.

The church ruin is situated among the older examples of the graves in the eastern portion of the site. The ruin had the poor remains of three walls and no other visible features.

The excavation was carried out in advance of conservation, to determine
(a) the position of the east wall,
(b) the nature of the south-west corner,
(c) the nature of the threshold, and
(d) to clear the site of debris and grave till, without causing damage to its structural remains.

The excavation began on 16 January 1989 and ended on 10 February 1989. The name Killererin comes from Cill a Reidh Roinn "the church of the course mountain flat", which would seem a good description of the local environs. It is believed that this site was a sister church to another site located nearby called Creevaghbaun, associated with the Carmelite order (see site No. 43, 1989). The parish is first mentioned in 1306, but the present construction seems to be mostly from the late medieval period, with loose fragments of 15th- and 17th-century dressed stonework reused in the walls.

Of the three remaining walls the west was the best preserved and measured 8m x 1m wide. At least three rows of rough coursing could be seen from the inside, but from the outside this feature was covered by a sod and grave till. This wall was built with limestone and mortar. Later there was another buttress wall added, built up against the original. The ends of the buttress wall extended beyond the ends of the inner example and evidence suggests that they doubled back towards the east around the ends of the north and south walls for about 0.5m. A minor trench was dug here at the south-west corner to confirm this feature but in this area part of the feature was missing, probably owing to burial.

The north wall was in poor condition and disappears completely at its eastern end; only intermittent lengths of it exist in a solid state while the remainder has been destroyed by burial and collapse.There is no evidence of the east wall except for a shallow mound of sod. A small cutting was made here and only loose masonry and mortar, making a rough line from the north and south walls, was in evidence. In this sector the ground has been badly disturbed by burial and there was no evidence of stratigraphy.

Part of the south wall stood to a height of 3m, and was constructed of loose coursed masonry and mortar. A fragment of 15th-century dressed stone was found built into the wall. A spud stone and an opening in the western portion of the wall represent a doorway. A cutting was made here to see if the threshold was of solid construction, but most of this feature had been destroyed. The spud stone was found to have a chamfer and some 15th-century pecking on its hidden side.

Finds include fragments of clay pipes and quern stones and stray finds of dressed stone.

57 Upper Newcastle, Galway