Killelton Church

National Monument No. 593. Killelton Church and graveyard/Cill Eilthín: Situated on the lower N slopes of Gearhane mountain, overlooking Tralee Bay, this site consists of a rectangular enclosure, within which are the remains of a small oratory and 2 rectangular buildings.

Oratory: The rectangular drystone oratory is located in the E sector of the enclosure. Hickson (1886, 499) has suggested that the Eccia de Glen... in the Papal Taxation List (1302-7) for the deanery of Offerba (Cal. doc. Ire. V, 295) may refer to this oratory, listed under the name Eccia de Gleann-faisi.

The building is in poor condition with the N, S and W walls considerably distorted and bulging, and the SE quoin joggled out of position by a tree. The walls are built mainly of rubble, but roughly coursed, dressed sandstone blocks are used in much of the interior. The N wall survives to a maximum height of 1.95m above the exterior, the lower .86m consisting of a plinth which projects c. 0.3m and dies into the external wall face at the NW corner. The remaining walls stand to a height of .9 to 1.2m, but the external face of the W wall is largely defaced. They vary considerably in width but the E and W gables are 1.1m thick where best preserved.

The interior measures 4.87m E-W x 3.7m and 3.15m in width at the W and E ends respectively. The doorway, now lacking its lintelled head, is located in the centre of the W wall and stands to a maximum height of 1.4m. The ingoings are constructed of well-dressed sandstone blocks, now very distorted, but the opening was c. 0.6m in width. A draw bar socket preserved on the S ingoing leads to a small rectangular niche which opens onto the inner face of the wall.

The splayed E window, .8m above the ground level on the interior, also lacks its head and is defaced externally. The ope survives to a maximum height of .74m and is .45m wide on the interior. The ingoings are constructed of neatly-dressed blocks and the sill plunges to the interior.

Restoration work carried out by the OPW in 1984 has considerably improved the condition of the oratory and revealed a greater height of the walls. It has also revealed that a large blocked-up opening, of unknown function, existed at the S end of the E wall. The blocking masonry has been removed and the opening measures .85m in width and lies .37m above the internal floor level.

During the restoration work, 2 fragments of a decorated quernstone were found, decorated face down, near the centre of the N wall, about 1.7m above ground level. Also found at the site was a holed stone similar to the pivot stones over the doorway at Gallarus Oratory (KE042-071004-). (Information: Grellan Rourke, OPW).