| Church Ruins
© Ruin in the Church of Ireland graveyard
According to "Exploring Limerick's Past" by Patrick
J. O'Connor, the Roman Catholic Church at Ballingarry has been on the
same site since the early 18th century. Westropp mentions a church in
Ballingarry since 1172. This church was located near the Protestant church.
According to Begley, a part of the east gable remained of the old church
in Ballingarry. It was dedicated to St. Evanjanus whose feastday is on
August 1st and is located near the Protestant church.
© Church Ruin at Kilmacow graveyard
The church in Kilmacow (Kylmocho was the old name) was dedicated to St.
Colman and the feastday of the church was on October 29th. Begley gave
the dimensions of the church as 58 feet by 18 feet 3 inches. It was believed
to be a very old church. There was also supposed to have been an abbey
in Kilmacow but the site of this abbey is unknown.
© Church Ruin at Seanboha
The church ruin in Seanabotha is now barely visible in the graveyard
overlooking the church in Granagh. It is believed that St. Maidoc or Aidan
of Ferns founded the church. From Begley's work we find that the church
in Senboth (as it was then called) was then a ruin and the walls of the
church were nearly levelled to the ground.
Lewis records a church in Knockfierna from 1837 but there is no trace
of any church now. There was also reputedly an ancient church called Stuadhraicin,
which was on the hill of Knockfierna.
© Kilmacanearla Church Ruin
Kilmacanearla is the site of a church ruin and in 1903 Westropp measured
the church as 15 feet of the west wall and 32 feet of the south wall.
Most of the church fell in the storm of January 6th 1839. The site of
the church is now marked by a clump of trees on a piece of raised ground.
Kilshane was the site of a Franciscan house and was founded by Fitzgerald
of Cleanglass. In 1410 it was called the Monastery of St. John of the
Third Order of St. Francis. However, we do not have a date for the foundation
of the abbey.
In 1840, some of the ruin of the monastery still remained and Westropp
tells us that the nave and choir measured 39 feet by 19 feet and 33 ½
feet by 19 feet 8 inches. There was also a tower on the site that stood
at 60 feet high. A small portion of the south wall remained and the north
wall was 17 feet high. The abbey fell in 1854 and the last remaining stones
were taken away to be used in building.
Westropp also mentions a church ruin called Morenane, of which only fragments
remained in 1905, when he conducted his research.
 
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