Aglish Church

Aglish (An Eaglais) medieval parish Church ruins in the diocese of Ardfert (Kerry), barony of Magunihy (Maigh gCoinchinn) was described in 1841 by Thomas O'Connor as follows; 'This parish is bounded on the north by the parishes Kilnanane and Molahiff; on the west by the parish of Kilbinaun; on the south by the parish of Aghadoe; and the east by the parish of Kilconeedan. The name of this parish is pronounced in Irish Eaglais, which signifies church, ecclesia. The ruins of Aglish church are situated in the church yard at the south side of the parish church. Of the north wall thirty-four feet near five inches [10.5m] in length remain standing; and nine feet [3m] in length of the east gable attached to it. There was a window on east gable at this distance from north wall. Both walls are covered with ivy. The thickness of the walls was three feet three inches [1m]. The north wall is rough cast outside. The north-east angle is destroyed on outside. The outside of north wall is injured as far as the middle from the east end' (O'Donovan 1983, 211). The 1302-06 papal taxation of the Deanery of Hac[nye] valued the church of 'Ogirrmys' [Aglish] at 13s 4d. with the tithe valued at 16d. (Cal. doc. Ire. vol.5, 296). In 1494 the taxation records of the Diocese of Ardfert listed the parish church of 'Agalasidurryn' [Aglish] which was at that time joined to the parish church of 'Chilloneayn' [Killinane KE080-016001-] in the same diocese whose vicar was John O'Sullivan (O'Connell and Costello 1958, 41). In 1615 the Royal Visitation of the Diocese of Ardfert recorded the following details about 'The Aglishe'; 'John Ball minister holdeth this livings by sequestration from faculties. Valoris 3 libri. All three churches up and well' (Murphy 1915, 185).

In the centre of a graveyard (KE058-024----), immediately S of the C of I church (KE058-024002-). The crumbling remains of the NE corner of the church are surrounded by fallen rubble. The walls (max. c. 2m) of water-rolled green and red stones are bonded with a mud mortar. The internal face of the E wall (5m N-S; H c. 1.25m) is visible through the fallen rubble. The collapsing N wall (L c. 11.3m) survives best at the E where there is a chest-tomb along its inner face. The area between the vault and the E wall is infilled with rubble. The possible line of the S wall is indicated by a series of tombs built along its possible external edge. The ogee head of a narrow light with hollowed-out spandrels and the base of a window, reused in the W side of one of the vaults, are likely to have come from the church. In 1841 an E window and ivy-clad clay-mortared walls in poor repair were described here (OSL, 489).

In 2009 a graveyard survey carried out by David Yates and Ann Frykler of Headland Archaeology Ltd. on behalf of Kerry County Council, recorded the following details about the Aglish Church: ‘To the northern portion of the graveyard are the ruinous remains of two churches. The most recent ruin, listed on the RMP as KE058-024002, has retained its entire footprint which includes a three-bay nave, a small single-bay extension to the northeast and the remains of a bell tower to its front (west) elevation. Located just to the south of this structure are the fragmentary remains of a second older church ruin, listed on the. RMP as KE058-024001 which survives as an L-profile section of rubble stone wall approximately 1.5m high. To the southern end of the north-south aligned section of wall is a small area of partial collapse though this appears to be in a relatively stable state. Also of note is a small divot in the ground located just west of the north-south aligned wall. Both churches are identifiable on the first edition OS map of 1829-41, with the earlier Roman Catholic church (KE058-024001-) being identified as a ruin at this time. It appears that the later Church of Ireland church (KE058-024002) was still standing at this time as it was at the time of the later OS survey (1897-1913) where the earlier church appears in its current state as an L-plan footprint' (Yates 2009, 9-10).