Oldtown Church (site of)

According to Carrigan (1905, vol. 4, 101), ‘The old chapel of Glenmore, built probably about 1700, stood almost in front of the Curate’s house, in the deep hollow directly under the public road. The present chapel, which succeeded it, has a slab over the entrance door, with the inscription:

Anno Domini

1813

This chapel was built by the Parishioners of Glenmore.

Rev. John Fitzpatric P.P.

Rev. William Grant, Coadr.

There is no church indicated in Glenmore townland on the 1st (1839) ed. OS 6-inch map or on the 25-inch (1899) OS map. However, on these maps and on the 1948 revision of the OS 6-inch map, in the neighbouring townland of Oldtown c. 80m SE of the NE corner Glenmore townland and c. 80m S of the public road, there is a rectangular building (dims. c. 15m NW-SE x c. 5m NE-SW) depicted in a hollow with another building, possibly the Curate’s house’, c. 17m to the NNE. The position of these two buildings, and particularly location of the southernmost building in a clearly indicated hollow, would suggest that these are the ‘chapel’ and Curate’s house. Neither of these buildings are visible at ground level (Google Earth satellite imagery, imagery date 25 April 2021).