| Church Ruins
© Church Ruin in Kilmeedy graveyard
The church ruin in Kilmeedy graveyard is not the original
church of St Ita. However, the original church was probably located near
this site. According to Spellissy & O'Brien's 'Limerick - The Rich
Land', this church was built in 1665 as a Protestant church on the site
of an earlier church. By 1837, this church was in a state of disrepair
and was restored by the Protestant parishioners of Cloncrew and Kilmeedy.
Within the church ruin there is a tomb to William Hano de Massy of Glinwilliam
castle who died on May 23rd 1848, aged 27. Other members of the Massy
family are also interred in the tomb.
On the wall of the ruin there is a plaque, which was erected by Daniel
Boohan of Kilmeedy to his wife Catherine who died March 11 1870, aged
59. The plaque also mentions his children James, Mary and Michael. At
the end of the inscription the letters R.I.P.A. are written.
About 50 yards from the present day church in Kilmeedy, there is a dispensary,
which was built on the site of the previous church in the village. No
trace of this church remains.
© Cloncrew Church Ruin
The church ruin in Cloncrew is situated approximately a
mile from the main road. It can be reached using a private roadway. All
that remains of this church are the two gable walls of the building. According
to Westropp the church was dedicated to St. Bartholomew. The first church
on this site was destroyed in a war in 1302. Westropp measured the church
as 47 feet by 16 feet. The name Cloncrew is from the Irish Cluain Creamh,
which means the Insulated Meadow, or the Bog Island of the Wild Garlic.
Westropp also mentions churches in the townlands of Kilmurry and Kilcolman
but no trace of these churches remains today.
 
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