Killeek

Killeek Cemetery

Killeek Cemetery is set in tillage land. It is located to the west of a third class road to the west of the R106. The site is bounded by a curved rubble limestone and an earthen bank to southwest, west and north indicating an earlier enclosure.

Historical Context

The walled graveyard is oval in plan and the ground level has been substantially raised. Within the graveyard there is a simple church, the interior of which appears to have been used for burial. The original church which was built on the site was in ruins by 1630. An earthen bank outside the graveyard wall is probably the remains of an early ecclesiastical enclosure.

Archaeological and Architectural Features

The standing remains of the church are situated on a slight rise within the graveyard and consist of a two-bay nave constructed of roughly coursed rubble limestone. There are opposed pointed arched openings in the west end of the north and south walls. There is a segmental-headed chancel arch in the east wall. Earlier photographs of the site show a wall extending from the northeast corner of the chancel but this has since been removed.

General Description

Sub-oval graveyard, bounded by curved rubble limestone wall with limestone coping with mild steel gates with square pillars in southeast corner. There is a concrete path around the boundary. There is an earthen bank to the southwest, west and north. The ground level within the graveyard is quite raised. The graveyard contains 18th, 19th, 20th and 21st century grave markers. These consist of headstones and freestanding crosses which are predominantly east-facing. The graveyard also contains some simple timber and cast iron crosses and there are a number of re-used architectural fragments at the base of the wall of the church. The earliest dated inscription appears to be 1701. There is a First World War memorial inscribed "275893 Private J. McCormack Labour Corps. 25th December 1918 age 46" in standard military style.