Farranwilliam

Area

180 m²

Buildings

4 buildings touch it, 133 m² on the ground

Zoning

R2 Existing Residential (Tralee Municipal District Settlements's Plan (Variation No. 1 of the KCDP 2022-2028)) The objective

Townland

Farranwilliam

Planning applications on this parcel

No planning application touches this parcel in the national file, which goes back to 2010.

Source: National Planning Applications, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, CC BY 4.0. Applicants are not shown.

Designated sites

No designated site (Special Area of Conservation, Special Protection Area, Natural Heritage Area or proposed one) touches this parcel.

Recorded monuments around it

This parcel is in the zone of notification of 37 recorded monuments.

• KE020-046 Historic town
  Description

  The historic town of Ardfert was described in the Urban Survey of Kerry as follows; ‘Throughout the Middle Ages, however, Ardfert was one of the most important settlement sites in Kerry an episcopal see, and, under the Normans, a borough. The placename, "Ard Ferta", means the height of burial mounds. Sometimes it is referred to as Ard Ferta Brenaind, after its patron saint. The church of Ardfert is generally regarded as a sixth century foundation of St. Brendan of Clonfert but nothing is known of its history until the eleventh century (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 62). In 1031 a reference occurs to one MacMara fasting 'aginst' Brendan at Ardfert (Ann. Inisf.) while in 1032 the death of Ailill Ua Flaithim, "erenagh of Ard Ferta …..leading jurist of Mumu" is recorded. In 1046 the stone church (dam liac) Ardfert was destroyed by lightning (Ann. Inisf.) and the burning of Ardfert is recorded in 1089 (AFM). In 1111 at the Synod of Raith Bressail Ratass was chosen as the centre of the diocese of Kerry but it was soon replaced by Ardfert which remained the episcopal see throughout the Middle Ages (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 62, 95). In 1117 the death of Anmchadh O hAnmchadha, bishop of Ardfert, is recorded (AFM). In 1152, however, it was burned by O Cuilein, king of Ui Chonaill Gabhra (Ó hInnse 1947, 35). It was burned again in 1179 (Ann. Inisf., AFM) and in 1180 it was plundered by the Clann Charthaigh who "carried off all the livestock they found there….. [and] killed many senior clergy within their sanctuary and graveyard" (Ó hInnse 1947, 71; Ann. Inisf.). The earliest evidence for Anglo-Norman activity in north Kerry is a grant of the area to Meiler F'itzHenry by King John in 1200 but is not clear to what extent, if any, this grant led to actual settlement in the area (Orpen 1911-20, iii, 123; Otway-Ruthven 1968, 86). Around 1214-15 there was a renewed Anglo-Norman thrust into the north Kerry area with the construction of a strong castles along its southern boundary, the river Maine. North Kerry was largely granted to the antecedents of the Geraldine houses of Desmond and Kerry or Lixnaw, whose exact identity has been a matter for debate (Nicholls 1970, 23-9). It is in the wake of this development that the first evidence of direct Anglo-Norman influence on Ardfert appears. In 1217 the justiciar, Geoffrey de Marisco, attempted unsuccessfully to impose an English bishop on the vacant see in preference to the lrish candidate already elected (Watt 1970, 73). Thirteenth century references to settlement are few, however. It has been suggested that the Franciscan friary was founded by Thomas FitzMaurice, 1ord of Kerry, c. 1253 (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 242; cf. Nicholls 1970, 25, n.8). By 1286 it was sufficiently well established for Thomas FitzMaurice to be granted customs on all merchandise sold in the vill of 'Ard' for seven years in order to enclose it. A reference to John le Draper, burgess of 'Ardart’ occurs in 1297 (Mills 1907, 128) and the existence of a municipal authority is evident from the reference to the provost of Ardfert in 1295 (Mills 1907, 21). A royal receipt roll of 1293 notes that £8 18s. was received in customs on 44 hogsheads and one pipe of wine at Ardfart (Sweetman 1875 6, iv, no. 21). Ardfert was also a legal centre, having a royal prison (Mills 1905, 44; 1914, 416) and the justiciar held court there in 1295 (Mills 1902, 21). Little more is known of the history Ardfert until the late sixteenth century and the references of this period to the borough indicate that it continued to function throughout the Later Middle Ages. In 1580 it was reported that the Spaniards had established a camp at Ardfert and that they had besieged the castle in conjunction with the earl of Desmond but had been repulsed (Hamilton 1867, 256, 261). In 1581-2 the English had a company of foot and a half-company of horse quartered in Ardfert being provisioned by the sovereign ("pronnsa") of the town (AFM). In 1582 Thomas FitzMaurice, lord of Kerry or Lixnaw rebelled and besieged the English garrison at Ardfert (Hamilton 1867, 365) but the garrison was 1ater relieved by the governor of Munster (Hamilton 1867, 373). Later in the year, however, the garrison were again besieged by Lixnaw and Desmond and eventually forced to withdraw from the town with many losses, committing the castle to the custody of James Oge, the sheriff (Hamilton 1867, 399, 403-5; AFM). Following the defeat and death of the earl of Desmond, English control was re-established in Ardfert. In 1584 the Franciscans were ejected from the friary (Jennings 1934, 153) and in the same year a survey of Desmond's forfeited possessions was drawn up, which noted burgages, lands, buildings, etc., held by him in "the 1ate burgh of Ardarte" (PRO 1881, 7). The survey also noted that the town and cathedral were nearly "prostrated and devastated" on account of the rebellion (PRO 1881, 31). Desmond’s holdings in Ardfert, as well as the friary, were given to Sir Francis Walshingham, Edward Denny, and other English planters, in the Plantation of Munster in 1587 (Brewer and Bullen 1868, 451) but it is not clear if Ardfert ever really recovered from the devastation of the Desmond revolt. The fate of the cathedral, which was apparently still ruined in 1611, may well be illustrative of the settlement as a whole. Thomas FitzMaurice, baron of Lixnaw, was granted a weekly market and yearly fair at Ardfert in 1612 and the borough continued to function into the nineteenth century (Ir. Rec. Comm. 1830, 225). A description of c. 1682 states that the cathedral, four other churches, the anchorites cell the hospital, and Castle were all burnt or destroyed during the Confederation wars (0'Sullivan 1971, 40). In the census of 1659, a population of 47 was returned for Ardfert (Pender 1939, 248) and in 1687 Sir Richard Cox described it as “of late soe decayd that it contains onely a few Cabbins (De Brún 1972, 39). SITE OF BOROUGH The site of the medieval borough cannot be accurately determined in the present state of knowledge but its most likely position was in the strip of ground between the cathedral and Ardfert Abbey. The road south of the cathedral widens into a triangular space known as the Fair Green which looks to be of recent date. MARKET CROSS King (1908, 17) states that there was a dispute in 1312 concerning the cross and pillory. DOMESTIC HOUSES The 1584 survey of Desmond's lands and the 1587 grant to the English planters list various houses and burgages in Ardfert but none is described in any detail (PRO 1881,7: Brewer and Bullen 1868, 451). Some details are known of two buildings, however. The first is a new castle, lately built anew with lime and stone, forfeited by the earl of Desmond and listed in the survey of 1584 (PRO 1881, 7). The second is a mansion built near the Franciscan friary by David Crosbie in 1633-4. Hickson (1874, 2-3) recorded the discovery in the grounds of its eighteenth century successor of a stone inscribed: HOC OPUS INCEPTUM Ao. DNI. 1633 ET FINITUM Ao. DNI 1635 DAVID CROSBIE ARMT UBI FIDES ET VERITAS DEUS PROVIDEBIT The house did not survive for long however, and was probably burned during the Confederate wars. This may explain why in 1645 Edmund FitzMaurice ordered the portreeve and inhabitants of Ardfert to assist him in demolishing David Crosbie's house (Hickson 1874, 14). The Molyneux description of c. 1682 noted an infinite deal of stone walls and traces old foundations, which show the place to have formerly appeared in a better figure than it bears present (O'Sullivan 1971, 40). The 1635 slab described by Hickson was not located (see Mems. Dead 1 (1888-91), 399). TOWN DEFENCES In 1286 Thomas FitzMaurice, lord of Desmond, received murage grant for seven years to pay for the enclosure of the vill of Ard' (Sweetman 1875-86, ii, no. 226). This grant must have been followed by a later one because in 1311-12 it was recorded that Reginald Brun owed 46s. 8d for the murage of

• KE020-046001 Church
  Description

  National Monument No. 54. Templenagriffin (Teampall na nGrífín, church of the Grífín - surname Griffin) (in ruins), NW quadrant of graveyard (KE020-046011-). Romanesque Church (KE020-046007-) 7m to E, Ardfert Cathedral (KE020-046002-) 36m to SE. Templenagriffin church described in the Urban Survey of Kerry as follows; 'Small single-aisled fifteenth century church, measuring 14.5 by 7m internally. The masonry is roughly coursed limestone with small amounts of red and green sandstone inclusions. The corners have dressed limestone quoins and the east and west walls are battered externally. The walls stand to full height of about 4m for north and south walls and 8-9m for the gables. A rectangular bell-cote rises above the west gable. The east wall has a tall splayed cusped twin-light window. The limestone jambs are chamfered and a segmental rear arch is also chamfered. The north wall has a small single light window at the east end. The arch and most of the jambs of the window are gone but the dressed limestone segmental rear arch survives. One stone of the internal east jamb has interlaced wyverns biting each others tails above a plaited pattern. The south wall has a piscina with circular basin at east end. The pointed arch over the piscina is limestone but the jambs are of chamfered red sandstone. There are two windows in the wall but the eastern one has lost its arch and most of its jambs. The west window is a single-light pointed opening with chamfered jambs of mixed limestone and sandstone and a flat lintelled rear arch. In between the windows is a round headed splayed doorway with rounded rear arch. The chamfered jambs of the doorway are of red sandstone but the arch is of limestone as are the internal dressed jambs of the rear arch. The west wall is featureless' (Bradley et al. 1987, 35-6). The Griffin family owned a large stretch of territory from Ballyheigue to Ardfert at this time and Smith (1756) says of the carving, 'On it are carved a griffin and a dragon conjoined which some of the family of Fitzmaurice carried formerly as supporters to their arms.' Revised by: Caimin O'Brien Date of revised upload: 6 May 2022

• KE020-046002 Cathedral
  Description

  National Monument No. 54. St Brendan's Cathedral (in ruins). Situated on an elevated rock outcrop to the S of the River Tyshe (Abhainn na Taibhse - river of the spectre). The complex includes the excavated and conserved ruins of a medieval cathedral whose chronology extends between the 11th to the 17th centuries. Ardfert is derived from Ard Fhearta which has several possible meanings. The most likely is ‘the height of the burial mound’ (O’Connor 1990, 5; Moore 2007, 13). The Early Medieval foundation at Ardfert is generally believed to have been founded by St. Brendan of Clonfert in the 6th century, however, there is no contemporary evidence to support this claim and it is most likely that his tutor and mentor St. Erc was the founder in the 5th century (Moore 2007, 16). The cathedral was fully excavated by Fionnbarr Moore, senior archaeologist with the NMS, over a seven year period in tandem with major conservation works carried out by Grellan Rourke of the OPW. These works have now been completed and Ardfert cathedral is now a managed visitor centre open to the public. All excavated interments in the cathedral were reburied in the newer section of the graveyard abutting the old one at the east (Dunne 2012, 5). St. Brendan's Cathedral was described in the Urban Survey of Kerry as follows; 'Historically almost nothing is known of this building from medieval documentary sources but it can be suggested on architectural grounds that the cathedral was built incorporating older fragments c 1260 (Leask 1955-60,ii, 114). It clearly suffered serious damage in the Desmond rebellion, and in 1584 was described as "nearly prostrated and devastated" (PRO 1881, 31). This state of affairs existed up until 1611 when it was listed among a number of ruined cathedrals in an act for their edification. In Ardfert's case, however, it was proposed to remove the cathedral see to Dingle (Brewer and Bullen 1873, 155). There is no evidence that the cathedral was ever restored and Smith's (1756, 68, 202-3) statement that the cathedral was destroyed in 1641 which is repeated by many writers is without foundation (but see O'Sullivan 1971, 40). The church consists of a long nave and chancel, measuring 44 by 8m, a south aisle and transept and a vestry/mortuary chapel north of the chancel. At least five periods of building are present. The oldest portion is twelfth century Romanesque work belonging to the buildings predecessor. The nave, chancel and south aisle are thirteenth century workmanship. The south transept was added in the fifteenth century; the vestry/ mortuary chapel in the sixteenth century, and alterations were made to this in 1668. The Romanesque Remains The Romanesque section of the west wall is built of sandstone and consists of a round arched door of two orders set in the north end of the wall with parts of a blank arcade on the north and south. The northern arcade consists of only one arch but it is evident that it originally extended beyond the present north wall, constructed in the thirteenth century. The wall surfaces of the arcades were faced with evenly cut and dressed blocks of sandstone, with the lower blocks set diagonally in a diamond pattern on either side of the door. The diamond pattern on the N side of the door rests on a long broken stone which has an elaborate interlaced design. The outer order of the door and the jambs have a chevron design and the capitals have trumpet capitals. The arches and soffits of the arcades are also decorated with chevrons and the pillarette to the south of the door between the arcades is decorated with a sugar barley twist. The centre section of the north wall is constructed of very large roughly coursed blocks of limestone, and it has been suggested by Hill (1870) that it is also of Romanesque date. It is out of alignment with the west end however and, if it is of Romanesque date, it can only be explained as part of another church because it is too long to have functioned as the chancel of the twelfth century cathedral. The Thirteenth Century Cathedral This was constructed of uncoursed rubble limestone with occasional blocks of sandstone, the quoins are of pink, yellow and grey sandstone. The building survives to its original height, with the gables standing to c. 10m and the side walls to c.7 and topped by15th/16th century crow-stepped battlements. The Chancel The east wall has three graded lancet windows, with sloping sills, flanked internally by two wall niches rising from an internal string course, now 30 cm above ground level. The external jambs are chamfored and the internal ones are moulding with banding 1.3m apart. The top of the mouldings are crowned by small capitals with worn stiff leaf foliage or openwork interlace. There are simple hood mouldings internally and externally with small floral stops on the internal arch. Above the window is a splayed flat arched rectangular opening with chamfered jambs in the gable. The two niches are similarly decorated but the arches have dog-tooth decoration. The east gable originally had two angle-buttresses but only that on the south east survives. The angle mouldings of the buttress have three quarter columns with stiff leaf capitals. The north wall contains rectangular wall-niche/aumbry, a narrow single-light window, and a door leading into the vestry. The Vestry is a later addition and originally the north wall would have been plain except for the rectangular wall-niche/aumbry, which is divided by a central pillar. The jambs are chamfered and one side of its rectangular hood-moulding has a weathered head with fleur-de-lys crown. The single light rectangular window has chamfered limestone jambs opening into the church, and is an insertion. It is splayed with a flat rear arch and indicates the presence of a western extension to the vestry. The vestry was entered through a fine ogee-headed door with concave limestone jambs. The south wall has a row of nine lancets with cusped rounded rear arches. The external jambs are chamfered and the internal ones have a banded roll moulding. The eastern four are smaller than the the other five because they were placed over two wall niches/sedilia. These niches are badly damaged and lack most of their original jambs but sufficient survives to show that they were contemporary with the niches in the east wall. The hood moulding which runs over the western niche continues as a string-course under the remaining five windows. Under the sixth window from the east there is an inserted pointed door, splayed internally with flat linteled rear arch. West of the ninth window two projecting corbels, matched by two similar ones in the north wall indicate the position of the rood screen. A rectangular window with glazing bars and flat arch was inserted later between the corbels, and its sill-stone is a reused drainage channel from a wall walk. The Nave Above the older masonry in the north wall are two twin light windows, splayed internally, with pointed rear arches and sloping sills. The separating mullions and jambs are of chamfered sandstone. Close to the west end is a pointed sandstone doorway with chamfered jambs and flattened rear arch. The west wall was thickened to incorporate the Romanesque section and the occurrence of steps to the south of the door internally may indicate a former gallery above. South of the Romanesque arcading the thirteenth century wall has an external batter in the south wall. Only traces of the external jambs of two pointed windows survive above the eastern arch of the south aisle, where they were blocked up when the south transept was built. South Aisle Only small fragments of the west and south walls of the south aisle remain. The south wall is represented by about 1m of footings at the east end and the west wall is very collapsed. The former roof line is indicated by a series of corbels in the south wall of the nave. The aisle was linked to the nave by three pointed arches, with chamfered rectangular

• KE020-046003 Round tower
  Description

  Graveyard survey carried out in 2012 by Laurence Dunne identified the precise location of the site of the round tower. Site of round tower described by Dunne (2012, 3, 20, 33) as; 'The complex also contained a 36m high round tower that collapsed in 1771. A few in situ stones corresponding to the basal courses of the round tower are still discernible today as well as a number of ex situ ones scattered around the immediate area. A 19th century tomb (No. 38) [belonging to the Harmon family] partially extends over the round tower site (Barrington 1976, 252). Round tower described by Toal (1995, no. 971) as; 'It is difficult to obtain an accurate description of the tower from the various 17th and 18th century sources, which vary greatly in their accounts. The earliest reference we have to the tower is on a drawing by Henry Pratt in 1697; it is marked as one of the buildings on the Ardfert ecclesiastical site. Charles Smith (1756) states that 'opposite to the west of the cathedral stands one of the ancient round towers, near a hundred feet high, built mostly of a dark kind of marble, which is the first I have met with, that was not composed of freestone. The door of this tower faces the west entrance of the cathedral, that the penitents who were formerly enclosed therein might receive the pardon and prayers of the congregation as they went in and out of the church.' O'Halloran (1778) writes of the tower as being 120 feet high, as does the author of A Tour through Ireland (1780). The tower was found by Dr Pococke (c 1853) to have measured 150 feet in height. The Parliamentary Gazetteer of Ireland states that the round tower had a slated roof and was 120 feet in height. While there were quite a few discrepancies as regards the height of the tower, similar confusion arose with regard to its destruction. O'Halloran (1778) states that it fell down in 1771. In Gough's Camden's Britannia (1789), he states that it 'being neglected fell to the ground 1771'. Dr Beaufort in his Memoir of the Map of Ireland (1792) talks of it 'tumbling at one crash into a heap of ruins' in 1770. Seward in Topographica Hibernia supports a 1770 date but states that 'a great part of it fell', not, as Beaufort had suggested, that the entire tower had come tumbling down. De Latocnayne (1796) states: 'it crushed itself, if the expression may be used, some twelve or fifteen years ago. I say “crushed” because one would expect that such a building would naturally fall to one side or other, but in this case the stones appeared to tumble straight down forming a large mass on the spot where the tower had stood.' In Twixt Skellig and Scattery (1932), Ó Ríordáin gives the description that survives in local folklore: 'It was 120 feet high and weathered the storms of 3,000 years before it fell in A.D. 1771. The storm that felled it was the worst in the history of our country. Tradition says it lay intact full length towards the west – the storm blew from the east. Thus it lay several years until broken up with difficulty. It provided stones for enclosing the graveyard and building the houses of old Ardfert. Vandals drew away some of the foundation stones of the tower before the great storm, or else it would be today a proud and precious relic of our pagan past.' Round tower described in the Urban Survey of Kerry as follows; 'A round tower stood to the west of the cathedral (KE020-046002-) until 1771 until it fell in a storm. A modern sign south-west of the cathedral states that its foundations were uncovered in 1949 (Barrow 1979, 113)' (Bradley et al. 1987, 36-7). See attached photographs of base of round tower courtesy of Laurence Dunne. Revised by: Caimin O'Brien Date of revised upload: 6 May 2022

• KE020-046004 Graveslab
  Description

  Unclear what grave-slab is referred to here. The SMR file mentions many uninscribed grave-slabs within the Cathedral and one with has the effigies of a Bishop lying in his Pontificalibus, said to have been the tomb of Bishop Stack, who died in 1488. Elizabeth Byrne, 18 May 2006

• KE020-046005 Castle - unclassified
  Description

  Ardfert Castle (site of). The castle originally lay E of Ardfert Cathedral (KE020-046002-) between the cathedral and the Ardfert parish rooms. Built by Lord Kerry in 1570 to replace the ancient castle built by his ancestors in 1311 during the reign of King Edward II. According to the Calender of State Papers Relating to Ireland Ardfert Castle was besieged in 1580, and in 1582 Thomas Fitzmaurice, Lord of Kerry, twice besieged the English garrison which held it. On the second occasion the English were forced to withdraw from the town after incurring heavy casualties. The castle fell in 1600 to Sir Charles Wilmot, and the account of the siege and final capitulation is recorded in Pacata Hibernia (1633): 'Ardfert for some nine days made good defence, and had burned with fireworks such boards and timber as Sir Charles had placed against the wall of the castle for his men's safety as they under-mined. But at the last, Sir Charles sent for a saker out of an Englishman's ship (which one Hill, the master, lent him), with a purpose only to break open the door of the castle for the walls were too strong for so small a piece to offend. The rebels at the sight of the saker yielded; Sir Charles hanged the constable; the rest of the ward, which was but eight with the women and children were spared.' The castle was then rebuilt by Lord Kerry (Patrick Fitzmaurice) in 1637. However, after siding with the Puritans during the Cromwellian war he had to quit his castle which he did on 13 February 1642 and fled to England. On the direction of the Council of the Confederates in Kerry, Captain Patrick Lawlor burnt Ardfert Castle to the ground. No trace of this structure can be seen today. The above description is derived from C. Toal, ‘North Kerry Archaeological Survey’. Dingle. Brandon in association with FAS Training and Employment Authority (1995), no. 1013. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 3 August 2013

• KE020-046007 Church
  Description

  National Monument No. 54. Templenahoe described in the Urban Survey of Kerry as follows; 'Only the nave of this church survives and originally it would have stretched further to the east, close to the Romanesque west front of the cathedral (KE020-046002-). Its features suggest a date of c. 1170-80. It was a simple nave and chancel structure but only the nave survives at present, measuring 11 by 6.5m. Short sections of the N and S walls of the chancel are still attached to the crossing wall and the gable line of the steeply pitched chancel roof is present. The masonry consists of uncoursed limestone and sandstone with dressed red sandstone quoins and jambs. The quoins are marked by three-quarter columns and there is an eaves-course along the side walls with short returns onto the E and W walls. The eaves course and quoin capitals (based on cushion forms) are decorated with scallop patterns, bosses and heads. The NE quoin and corner of the building is largely rebuilt. The east wall stands of a height of c. 8m and has a large weathered chancel arch of two orders, but originally consisting of three. The inner arch is decorated on the internal face and soffit with chevron design of low rounded mouldings and nail head ornament. The imposts had foliage patterns, bosses and buds. The face of the outer arch has three bands of mouldings separated by bands of nail-head which is very weathered. The N wall stands to a height of 6m and the east end, where Leask (1955-60, 155) noted the position of a window, is largely rebuilt. Towards the W end is a single-light round arched window with sloping sandstone sill. It originally had sandstone jambs but these are largely replaced with pick-dressed limestone. The rear arch is flat lintelled. The S wall is of similar height and the middle section is rebuilt. There is a very fine round arched red sandstone window at the E end of the wall. The opening is narrow but is widely splayed internally and it has a sloping sill. The window is bordered internally and externally with a frieze of floral and foliage patterns separated by whorls and mouldings. The W gable is complete, c. 9.5m high, with a trabeate window with sandstone jambs high in the gable and round arched door of two orders. The jambs and voussoirs are damaged and undecorated. Externally the inner order was stepped and chamfered and the outer order projects outwards from the wall surface. The hood moulding over the door is decorated with conical bosses and the stops consisted of animal heads although only the S one survives' (Bradley et. al. 1987, 33-5). Revised by: Caimin O'Brien Date of revised upload: 6 May 2022

• KE020-046008 Church
  Description

  The S, E and W wall foundations of the pre-Romanesque church (KE020-046008-) were uncovered within the cathedral (KE020-046002-); it would appear to have measured c 18m E-W x 6m N-S (Excavations, 1991). The above description is derived from C. Toal, ‘North Kerry Archaeological Survey’. Dingle. Brandon in association with FAS Training and Employment Authority (1995), no. 969. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 17 September 2013

• KE020-046010 Ecclesiastical enclosure
  Description

  No trace survives of an enclosure but the curve in the main road to the West of Templenagriffen may preserve the line of the former western boundary. The long rectangular graveyard is all that remains of the old monastery and it contains the ruins of two Romanesque buildings, Templenahoe and the fragmentary west end incorporated into St. Brendan's Cathedral. The site of a round tower is also known. The above description is derived from Bradley, J., et al. 1987 Urban Archaeology Survey Part XIV County Kerry (23, no.6). Unpublished report. Office of Public Works. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 10 January 2012

• KE020-046011 Graveyard
  Description

  Ardfert graveyard was surveyed and described by Laurence Dunne in 2012 as follows; 'The early Medieval monastic complex of structures, cathedral and graveyard is situated on the northern limits of the village Ardfert circa 8 km north of Tralee. The complex includes the excavated and conserved ruins of a medieval cathedral [KE020-046002-] whose chronology extends between the 11th to the 17th centuries. There are two other extant structures including the 12th century church known as ‘Templenahoe’ [KE020-046007-] and a later 15th century church called ‘Templenagriffin’ [KE020-046001-] that has been recently conserved and restored. The complex also contained a 36m high round tower [KE020-046003-] that collapsed in 1771. A few in situ stones corresponding to the basal courses of the round tower are still discernible today as well as a number of ex situ ones scattered around the immediate area. A 19th century tomb (No. 38) partially extends over the round tower site (Barrington 1976, 252). The cathedral was fully excavated by Fionnbarr Moore, senior archaeologist with the NMS, over a seven year period in tandem with major conservation works carried out by Grellan Rourke of the OPW. These works have now been completed and Ardfert cathedral is now a managed visitor centre open to the public. All excavated interments in the cathedral were reburied in the newer section of the graveyard abutting the old one at the east. Three entrances are available-two of which lead into the old graveyard area that encompasses the historic churches and cathedral while the third leads directly into the newer graveyard section abutting the older one at the east end. There is another separate entrance into the visitor centre via the main door of the south transept directly from the kerbside. A high iron gate is set between two square limestone piers at the SE end of the south boundary wall a little to the east of the south transept. A modern galvanised gate provides access into the western area of the graveyard and is in good order. Entrance into the newer graveyard area is provided for by a pair of iron gates in poor order, neglected and rusted. The gates are set between a pair of solid square limestone piers with ‘soldier’ capping. Abutting the east pier is a squeeze-stile made from slate. The southern boundary wall extending west from the south transept is circa 1.8m high and is constructed with rubble limestone bonded in mortar with the mid section laid to courses. The west limits of the graveyard is enclosed buy a stone wall outside of which and abutting the OPW use as a works depot. There is a breach in the north-west corner of the wall. The east party wall between the old and lower newer graveyard is uncapped and virtually covered in ivy. The north boundary parallel to the cathedral is constructed with rubble limestone and is in general good order although ivy has established itself. Further west the area around the two churches is enclosed by a modern green chain-link fence. The lower newer graveyard is enclosed by a low rubble limestone wall with rounded cement capping along its south-east and northern limits. A strong growth of ivy has established itself along the north and north-eastern sections of the wall. There are eighty-eight, (88), tombs in Ardfert graveyard. The vast majority of which (80) are situated within the older medieval graveyard area. The tombs are the haunched ‘strong-box’ type as well as gabled house type as well. Only one tomb, TB60, contained a reused medieval masonry fragment comprising a chamfered limestone block, No. 18. A total of 224 named and generally modern headstones (HS) were recorded. The vast majority are modern and in good order and in the main are distributed across the newer graveyard area (circa 60%) to the east. However, in the older medieval area of the graveyard there are a number of very fine 18th and 19th century headstones that are very fine carved and decorated. There are 402 uninscribed rough unhewn gravemarkers dispersed throughout the older medieval graveyard with only five situated in the later newer graveyard area to the east. A total of twenty-seven (27) horizontal graveslabs were recorded at Ardfert. There are twenty (20) architectural fragments in Ardfert graveyard. The vast majority (13) are clustered together both in situ (3) and ex situ (10 ) associated with the round tower that collapsed in 1771. One of the masonry fragments (AF 1) is painted white and comprises a section of a 15th century window mullion and stands within a formal graveyard immediately inside the west entrance gateway beside the pathway. A single holed or perforated unnamed gravemarker was recorded in the old graveyard area a little to the west of the south transept' (Dunne 2012, 3-11). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 9 May 2022

And 27 more.

Architectural heritage

No building of the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage stands on this parcel.

Designated sites: National Parks and Wildlife Service. Recorded monuments: Sites and Monuments Record, National Monuments Service. Buildings: National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, CC BY 4.0. Works at or in relation to a recorded monument need two months' written notice to the National Monuments Service (National Monuments (Amendment) Act 1994, section 12).

Ground and risks

Radon

About 1 in 5 homes in this area is likely to have high radon levels. Testing a home

Landslides

Susceptibility low, on the 1:50,000 map.

Terrain model

LiDAR of the Office of Public Works, flown in 2011, at 2 m: tile OPW_71 (ZIP).

Flooding

The flood maps of the Office of Public Works: floodinfo.ie.

Radon Risk Map of Ireland, Environmental Protection Agency; Landslide Susceptibility Classification, Geological Survey Ireland; both CC BY 4.0. LiDAR: contains Irish Public Sector Data (Geological Survey Ireland & the Office of Public Works) licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.

Download this parcel: DXF, in Irish Transverse Mercator metres, with its neighbours and buildings, for a drawing program; GeoJSON, in WGS 84, for a map; KML, for Google Earth.

Registered freehold land, Tailte Éireann, CC BY 4.0. A parcel is the land of a title, not an address. The owner's name is in the Land Registry of Tailte Éireann: a copy of the folio can be ordered on landdirect.ie, for a fee.