2021:699 - Kilmacrenan, Donegal

Two phases of conservation works took place at Kilmacrenan Friary (DG045-010001) and the associated 'Old Church' (DG045-010003), in Kilmacrenan, County Donegal, in 2021, under Ministerial Consent No. C000693. The site is located 0.5km east of Kilmacrenan village, near the confluence of, and between, the Lennon and Lurgy rivers. The works were funded by Donegal County Council, carried out by professional stone masons and overseen by a conservation architect. A number of visits by the writer took place during the works. These visits included inspection of the works as they progressed, monitoring of specific works and the retrieval of fallen masonry for reuse in the project.
The friary was founded by Manus O'Donnell for the Franciscan Third Order Regular probably after 1537. The religious element of the inauguration of the O'Donnell chieftains took place here with the civil part of the ceremony taking place at nearby Doon Rock (DG044-015). It is also, reputedly, the site of an earlier Columban foundation, the saint having been fostered and educated here c. 528 AD by Cruithnechan, who gives the parish and barony its name. The nearby Church of Ireland (DG045-010003) was built post-1622 and was demolished in 1845 following the construction of a Church of Ireland parish church in Kilmacrenan village.
The remains of the friary consist of most of the length of the south wall with attached section of east gable and a short section of the northern end of the west gable. A field boundary wall to the north, runs east-west along the line, or slightly south of the line, of the north wall of the church. The interior is filled with graves and contains one large conifer, which caused the collapse of a section of the aforementioned field boundary wall. A wall press is located at the east end of the south wall, while gaps in the south wall undoubtedly mark the locations of window opes along its length. A small cairn of loose rocks is located on top of the west end of the south wall.
The graveyard (DG045-010002), in which the remains of the church stand, contains burials dating to as recently as 2010 with the oldest visible graveslab dating to 1812.
Only the grassed-over lower courses of the east gable and north and south walls survive of the Church of Ireland church (DG045-010003), which is located in a graveyard (DG045-010006) across a boreen to the south-west of the friary. A square tower of three storeys is located at the west end of the church. A small structure with a partially collapsed arch in its north wall stands adjacent to the north-eastern corner of the church.
The first phase of works focused on the friary. Stone was retrieved from the cairn of rocks at the west end of the south wall for reuse in the project. One modern rusted metal coffin handle was recovered from the cairn. The fabric of the medieval church was consolidated and the repair of the collapsed section of boundary wall to the north of the church was monitored. The section of wall measured 4m long and had largely collapsed into a field of pasture to the north. Within the collapsed section of wall, plastic and modern glass fragments associated with grave memorials were found. An uninscribed graveslab and a small concrete cross were found along the line of the collapsed section of wall.
The second phase of works concerned the 'Old Church' (RMP No. DG045-010003). The driving of earth rods associated with a lightening strike protection system for the church tower was monitored with the location of the rods discussed and agreed. The wall fabric of the tower and the arched structure were both consolidated.
There was no reduction in ground levels in either phase of the project.

4 Lecka Grove, Castlebar Road, Ballinrobe, County Mayo