Castlelyons Church

In centre of graveyard (CO045-00101-), fragmentary remains of cruciform church. At centre, ruins of crossing tower; C of I church, now roofless, occupies nave and part of crossing; large 18th century mausoleum occupies most of chancel area. Nave (int. 17.3m E-W; 7.4m N-S) of C of I church incorporates E and W walls of earlier nave but N and S walls rebuilt on line of/atop earlier foundations. Central door in W wall of nave has pointed stone arch and jambs and is covered on outside by sloping hood supported by a pair of tapering corbels; directly above is two-light window with ogee heads. Added porch outside door now blocked up as are lancet windows in N and S walls of nave. Pointed arch leads into small rectangular chancel (6.2m E-W; 5m N-S) which partially occupies crossing of cruciform church. Central E window of chancel has switch-line tracery rising from two mullions; both Power (1918, 217) and Waters (1927, 51) consider it 'taken from the older building'.

S wall of crossing tower entirely fallen but E and N walls still stand to some height. Both are pierced, at ground level, by plain pointed masonry arch. Part of E wall of S transept runs for c. 3.6m but otherwise nothing stands of N and S transepts and chancel of cruciform church. Two lines of stone flashing are visible on E face of E wall of tower; the higher line probably early and now broken by single ogee-headed light with hoodmoulding. Also at this level is a two-light ogee-headed window with hoodmoulding E of centre in N wall of tower, now missing its mullion. Cruciform church, possibly built as Dominican friary in 13th/14th century (Mould 1991, 90), but no exact record confirms this (see Gwynn and Hadcock 1988, 232). Judging by surviving architectural details rebuilt in 15th/16th century, possibly when roof of chancel lowered. Became parish church of Castlelyons dedicated to St. Nicholas which was reported in repair in 1615 and 1694 (Brady 1863 vol. 2, 94-6). C of I church (CO045-001002-), built in 1770s by Barrymore family who lived in nearby Castlelyons Castle (CO045-004---), was 'completely renovated and restored in 1899' (Cole 1903, 171) and closed in early 1960s.