2026:197 - Dulane Church and graveyard, Meath
County: Meath
Site name: Dulane Church and graveyard
Sites and Monuments Record No.: ME011-037---
Licence number: E005742
Author: Niall Roycroft
Author/Organisation Address: c/o Meath County Council, Buvinda House, Dublin Road, Navan, Co Meath. C15 Y291.
Site type: Church and graveyard
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 673939m, N 778832m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.753856, -6.878844
Meath County Council has been conducting ongoing works to Dulane Church, ME011-037 (considered to be a National Monument due to its early medieval date). An inspection report of 2015 focussed on a portion of church wall face that was collapsing in and around the south-west corner of the church interior. In 2017 a Conservation Report was prepared, which was due to form part of a Consent for repairs. However, the funding for this work did not appear. In 2018 a Further Information report combined the previous surveys with proposals for repairs.
In the winter 2018-2019 there was a significant graveyard boundary wall collapse and the National Monuments Service advice was to repair this wall before beginning on the church. Documentary research showed that the boundary wall probably dated to the 19th century. In late 2019 ivy was cut from the church structure and the graveyard boundary wall. The ivy was eco-plugged on the boundary wall but was not killed off on the church structure. In 2020 a further Conservation Architect Report was completed on the church structure and associated graveyard.
In 2021 National Monuments Service was Notified of proposed repair works for the 2018-2019 boundary wall collapse (five sections, totalling c.18m). The repairs were completed on the graveyard boundary wall. This work was accompanied by a monitoring report which noted ivy returning all over the church structure.
In 2024 a further section (c.3m) of graveyard boundary wall collapsed. At this time, Ministerial Consent was applied for to cover the whole Dulane project (past and future) and regularise the paperwork. This application included a survey of all worked stones found in the church and graveyard as well as a review of the later burials within the church structure that appear to be impacting on the church walls. Consent C1404 E005742 was issued by National Monuments Service in August 2024 and the 3m of boundary wall was repaired by December 2024.
No archaeological deposits or objects (e.g. worked stones) were found during the 2021 or the 2024 repair works. No archaeology was found.