Fenit Within

17 registered freehold parcels lie mostly in Fenit Within, from 83 m² to 402,700 m² (40.27 ha, 99.51 acres). The dashed line is the townland's boundary. 4 neighbouring parcels touch it.

Download the townland as DXF, in Irish Transverse Mercator metres, with its boundary, parcels and buildings, or as GeoJSON or KML.

No zone of a development plan covers Fenit Within in the national zoning. Outside zoned towns and villages, the county development plan's rural policies apply to each application.

Source: Tailte Éireann and the Department of Housing (MyPlan), national zoning, CC BY 4.0.

• 30 May 2022N/a

  RETAIN DEVELOPMENT CONSISTING OF FENCING FOR LAND ENCLOSURE

  Retention · Kerry County Council, 22558

• 30 May 2022N/a

  RETAIN DEVELOPMENT CONSISTING OF FENCING FOR LAND ENCLOSURE

  Retention · Kerry County Council, 22564

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

Designated sites

• Special Area of Conservation: Akeragh, Banna and Barrow Harbour SAC 000332
• Special Protection Area: Tralee Bay Complex SPA 004188
• Proposed Natural Heritage Area: Akeragh, Banna And Barrow Harbour 000332

Recorded monuments

• KE028-001 Castle - tower house
  Description

  Fenit Castle described in 1841 as follows; 'There is a castle in ruins on Fennit Island standing on a limestone rock at the North East extremity of the island, and over the shore of the Barrow (An Bhearabhainn). (The Barrow is an inlet to the sea, or harbour, the entrance of which is about twelve chains wide for about three quarters of a mile after which it extends to two and a half miles long and half a mile in width. It lies on the North East side of the Townland of fennit and West of Ballynahaglish Parish. See Name Book of Fennit Parish). It stands perpendicularly on the very extremity of the rock, which is washed on all sides by the waters of the sea, excepting on the South West, where it is joined to the island by a narrow neck. The building was constructed of lime stone and Lime and sand mortar, and the work was grouted. It was about sixty feet [18.3m] high and the walls seven feet nine inches [2.35m] thick at the ground, and seven feet four inches [2.2m] a little higher up. The windows on it were of chiselled lime stone, were divided into four compartments and had each two points outside. They ere large inside, constructed of mason work, and had segment arches. There are still some remaining on the ruin. The South East angle of this castle is razed to the foundation. Part of South wall joined to West wall and part of East wall joined to North wall remain. The West and North walls retain their original height, and part of a stone arch remains attached to them on the inside. The castle measured twenty nine feet [8.8m] at the ground from North to South on the outside, and thirty three feet four inches [10.1m] from East to West on the same side' (OSL). Castle described by the ASI in 1999 as follows; ‘Rectangular four story tower house standing on highest point of NW corner of D-shaped promontory. N and W walls of tower stand directly cliff-face overlooking sea. Remainder of promontory slopes back towards a narrow neck which joins it to the mainland. Promontory covered by grazed scotch grass. There are two lumps of masonry lying on promontory SE of the tower which stands to full height, except SE section which stands only a few courses high. Tower is built of roughly coursed limestone blocks with prominent base batter to a height of c. 2m. Tower entered through ground floor doorway near S end of E wall, and through first floor doorway near n end of E wall. Only the sill stone and the lower courses of the S side of the ground floor doorway survive. On N side of doorway there is a guard chamber or porters room. Doorway into main ground floor chamber is now missing. The centre of N and W walls have similar window embrasures. Window in N wall is double splayed. Opposite each other at W end of N and S walls are two wall presses. One on S side only partially survives, the one at N covered by two large lintels. First floor entrance door located near N end of E wall. Door surround set into rectangular recess, set back c. 20cm from external wall face. At foot of recess at either corner are two corbels cut into the upper inside face are semi-circular notch to support drawbridge mechanism. Door surround has a two centre pointed arch with a chamfer only on the arch itself. Doorway gives access to a mural passage tuning S. Approx. 1 from N face of passage is N side of doorway into main first floor chamber. In centre of N wall of main chamber is a lintelled doorway which gives access to a mural chamber turning at right angle to the E. Small wall press at N end of W wall. Single slit window in centre of N wall and garderobe opening at E end of chamber. The first floor chamber was covered by a pointed stone vault on an E-W axis, now destroyed. The vault is intact only at the W end. Small tower on SW corner of second floor allows access to W wall-walk. Rough evidence for dripstone on S, W and N walls show level of wall-walk. Crenellations appear deliberately slighted. Promontory on which tower is located, to the SE of the castle is a terraced step. This side of the promontory has been artificially raised in an attempt to level up the area outside the tower. Levelling up layer visible c. 1m thick, visible above bedrock on SE side of site where is section is exposed by sea’ (SMR File). See attached photographs of Fenit Castle © Garry Dickinson (cc-by-sa/2.0). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 26 April 2022

• KE028-022 Sheepfold
  Description

  This record was listed as 'Enclosure possibe' in the SMR (1990) and the RMP (1997). A field visit undertaken in 1999 has established that this is a sheepfold. Compiled by: Matt Kelleher Date of upload: 25 January 2012

• KE028-023001 Church
  Description

  Fenit church was described in 1841 as follows; 'There was an old church on the Island of Fenit, a short distance to the South West of the castle [KE028-001----]. It is destroyed to the foundation, and there is no burial at it. It was constructed with lime stone mixed with some brown stone as appears from the foundation of the walls. Whether there was lime used in the cement or not, is not now easy to discern. In a bit of the South wall, two or three feet high, which remains next East end no lime is observable in the cement. The thicknesss of this bit is three feet six inches [1.06m]. The length of the Church was thirty seven feet six inches [11.4m] and the breadth was fifteen feet [4.57m]' (OSL). Folklore collected from Chapeltown (Baile na hEaglaise) School recorded the following tradition; 'This is the remains of an ancient church [KE028-023001-]. It is situated about 200 yds inland and south-west of the Castle [KE028-001----] in Fenit Island. It is marked on the Ordnance Survey Map. I took measurements of it which are as follows:- Length 44 feet exterior. Breadth 22 feet exterior. Thickness of walls 3 ft. Stone is local. No mortar - mud and stone walls. The walls are now only 2 or 3 ft. high in places and the interior is covered with briars and refuse and seemed to have originally been a good deal lower than the level of the land outside. The field in which it is situated is called "The Church Field." and belongs to Thomas McCarthy. This old church and its surroundings occupies about 1/4 of an English acre in the corner of a big field. Around the ruin are numbers of rough stones standing on end, most likely a burial ground [KE028-023003-]. Until quite lately they buried unbaptised children in the graveyard. Hollows in the ground nearby would indicate there were other buildings also close to the church proper. The 1/4 acre in which the ruin and graveyard are were never tilled and never will be. Tradition connects this church with St. Brendan. In ancient times two large villages were in Fenit Island - one in the west in a place called Cuan Eamuin [?] and another in the east near where the old mill is indicated on the map. No trace of these exists today only the ruins which are occasionally turned up by the plough. The Teampaillín would thus be centrally situated between both villages. This old church had no connection with the Castle near which it is situated, it was old when the castle was built about 1650'(The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0438, Page 270-1; https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4706321/4702383) '. Church and burial ground described in 1989 as follows; 'On the lands of Mr Patrick Murphy may be seen what little remains of a very old church. It is attributed by some authorities to a St Baronthus, a contemporary of St Brendan (484-577) whom he influenced to sail into the unknown by telling him of a remarkable voyage of his son, Mernoc, in search of the Land of Promise. It measures internally 37 feet [11.27m] in length (from east to west) and 18 feet 3 inches [5.5m] in breadth. The entrance doorway was 15 feet 8 inches [4.7m] from the west gable, and appears to have been not less than 3 feet 10 inches [1.1m] wide in the ope. Similarly positioned was another door in the north wall, leading into an enclosed space, whose side walls were in line and contiguous with the gables and extended some 55 feet [16.7m]. In all probability, this compound' contained the priest's dwelling, or it may have been a small cemetery: a burial ground seems to have existed on the south side of the church, as evidenced by human bones having been accidently turned up in ploughing there many years ago and not connected with the use of part of the ground as a children's cemetery less than a century ago. All the walls of church and compound are uniform in thickness, 3 feet 3 inches [0.9m]'. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 26 April 2022

• KE028-023002 Sheepfold
  Description

  This record was listed as 'Enclosure possibe' in the SMR (1990) and the RMP (1997). A field visit undertaken in 1999 has established that this is a sheepfold. Compiled by: Matt Kelleher Date of upload: 25 January 2012

• KE028-023003 Graveyard
  Description

  Fenit church and burial ground was described in 1841 as follows; 'There was an old church [KE028-023001-] on the Island of Fenit, a short distance to the South West of the castle [KE028-001----]. It is destroyed to the foundation, and there is no burial at it' (OSL). Folklore collected from Chapeltown (Baile na hEaglaise) School recorded the following tradition; 'This is the remains of an ancient church [KE028-023001-]. It is situated about 200 yds inland and south-west of the Castle [KE028-001----] in Fenit Island. It is marked on the Ordnance Survey Map. Around the ruin are numbers of rough stones standing on end, most likely a burial ground. Until quite lately they buried unbaptised children in the graveyard. Hollows in the ground nearby would indicate there were other buildings also close to the church proper. The 1/4 acre in which the ruin and graveyard are were never tilled and never will be (The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0438, Page 270-1; https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4706321/4702383) '. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 26 April 2022

• KE028-023004 Children's burial ground
  Description

  Folklore collected from Chapeltown (Baile na hEaglaise) School recorded the following tradition; 'This is the remains of an ancient church [KE028-023001-]. It is situated about 200 yds inland and south-west of the Castle [KE028-001----] in Fenit Island. It is marked on the Ordnance Survey Map. Around the ruin are numbers of rough stones standing on end, most likely a burial ground [KE028-023003-]. Until quite lately they buried unbaptised children in the graveyard. Hollows in the ground nearby would indicate there were other buildings also close to the church proper. The 1/4 acre in which the ruin and graveyard are were never tilled and never will be (The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0438, Page 270-1; https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4706321/4702383) '. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 26 April 2022

• KE028-024 Chapel
  Description

  The Archaeological Survey of Ireland (ASI) is in the process of providing information on all monuments on The Historic Environment Viewer (HEV). Currently the information for this record has not been uploaded. To access available information for research purposes please make an appointment in advance with the Archive Unit (open Fridays 10.00 am – 5.00 pm), Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, The Custom House, Dublin 1 D01W6XO or email NMarchive@housing.gov.ie.

• KE028-025 Sheepfold
  Description

  This record was listed as 'Enclosure possibe' in the SMR (1990) and the RMP (1997). A field visit undertaken in 1999 has established that this is a sheepfold. Compiled by: Matt Kelleher Date of upload: 25 January 2012

• KE028-097 Settlement deserted - medieval
  Description

  Possible medieval settlement near the SE corner of Fenit Island associated with an old mill site has not been located. Folklore collected from Chapeltown (Baile na hEaglaise) School recorded the following tradition; ' In ancient times two large villages were in Fenit Island - one in the west [KE028-096----] in a place called Cuan [harbour] Garsons [?] and another in the east near where the old mill [KE028-0897001-] is indicated on the map. No trace of these exists today only the ruins which are occasionally turned up by the plough. The Teampaillín [KE028-023001-] would thus be centrally situated between both villages' (The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0438, Page 271; https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4706321/4702383). A second story collected from Chapeltown School recorded details about the mill and the associated settlement on Fenit Island; 'At the South-east corner of the Island I was told there once was a mill for grinding corn. It is marked on the enclosed sketch-map, no trace of it exists today. I was told by John Slattery in whose land the mill was that the driving power was the sea-water which was trapped at high-water in Spring-tide on this low beach and the mill wheel was turned by the escaping water as the tide went out. There once was a big village at this part of the island as the owner of the land often met with foundations of houses and lots of cockle-shell dumps in this area. About 100yds [91m] from where the village stood is a spring well about 8ft [2.4m] deep which supplied them with water. An old Bittling stone still stands at the [well?]' (The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0438, Page 268; https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4706321/4702380/4724473?ChapterID=4706321). Earthworks of a field system and cultivation ridges visible on Digital Globe orthoimage taken between 2011-13 and on Google Earth orthoimages may be the remains of the deserted village described above located on on the SE side of the island. See attached sketch map of Island showing the location of the mill (The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0438, Page 259), Image and data © National Folklore Collection, UCD. See attached Google Earth orthoimages Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 14 June 2022

Architectural heritage

No building of the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage stands in the townland of Fenit Within.

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).

Radon

At the centre of the townland of Fenit Within, about 1 in 5 homes in this area is likely to have high radon levels. Testing a home

Landslides

The 1:50,000 map rates the landslide susceptibility here as moderately high, moderately low, low, partly inferred.

Terrain model

No LiDAR survey of the Office of Public Works covers the centre of the townland of Fenit Within.

Flooding

The Office of Public Works publishes its flood maps on floodinfo.ie.

Radon Risk Map of Ireland, Environmental Protection Agency, and Landslide Susceptibility Classification, Geological Survey Ireland, both under 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.

No address of the register names Fenit Within with five sales or more. The sales of the area are on the page of Co. Kerry.

Name

Fenit Within · An Fhianait (Laistigh)

Area

1,813,096 m² (181.31 ha, 448.03 acres)

Civil parish

Fenit, and its townlands

Barony

Trughanacmy

Electoral division

Ballynahaglish, the unit of the census

Census 2022

1,684 people lived in 619 households in the Ballynahaglish electoral division. 88% of households owned their home. 34% of homes were built since 2001. 12% of dwellings stood vacant on census night, and 14% were holiday homes.

Neighbouring townlands

Fenit Without

Placenames

Fenit Within on logainm.ie, the Placenames Database of Ireland

Townlands, civil parishes, baronies and electoral divisions, National Statutory Boundaries, Tailte Éireann, CC BY 4.0. Census 2022, Small Area Population Statistics by electoral division, Central Statistics Office, CC BY 4.0. A townland is the smallest land division of Ireland, and the unit of a rural address. Old registers such as the 1901 and 1911 censuses file it under its civil parish and barony.