Townparks

More than 2,000 parcels touch this townland: too many to draw here.

• R1A2 - New Residential (New/proposed residential)
  Meath County Development Plan 2021-2027, Meath The zoning objective in the plan
• C2.1E2 - General Enterprise and Employment (Industrial, enterprise, employment)
  Meath County Development Plan 2021-2027, Meath The zoning objective in the plan
• R2A1 - Existing Residential (Existing residential)
  Meath County Development Plan 2021-2027, Meath The zoning objective in the plan
• S5G1 - Community Infrastructure (Mixed/general community services/facilities uses)
  Meath County Development Plan 2021-2027, Meath The zoning objective in the plan
• G1F1 - Open Space (Open space, park)
  Meath County Development Plan 2021-2027, Meath The zoning objective in the plan
• M2B1 - Commercial Town or Village Centre (City/Town/village Centre, central area)
  Meath County Development Plan 2021-2027, Meath The zoning objective in the plan
• M1C1 - Mixed Use (Mixed Use, general development, opportunity/proposal site)
  Meath County Development Plan 2021-2027, Meath The zoning objective in the plan
• G1F1/D1 - Open Space/ Tourism (Open space, park)
  Meath County Development Plan 2021-2027, Meath The zoning objective in the plan
• P5RA - Rural Area (Mixed/general primary sector uses, including 'rural')
  Meath County Development Plan 2021-2027, Meath The zoning objective in the plan
• N2.3TU - Transport and Utilities (Mixed/general water/wastewater uses)
  Meath County Development Plan 2021-2027, Meath The zoning objective in the plan
• G3H1 - High Amenity (Conservation, amenity or buffer space, corridor/belt, landscape)
  Meath County Development Plan 2021-2027, Meath The zoning objective in the plan
• O1WL - White Lands (Strategic reserve, White land)
  Meath County Development Plan 2021-2027, Meath The zoning objective in the plan
• C5D1 - Tourism (Tourism and related)
  Meath County Development Plan 2021-2027, Meath The zoning objective in the plan
• C1.2B2 - Retail Warehouse Park (Retail warehouse)
  Meath County Development Plan 2021-2027, Meath The zoning objective in the plan

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

• 10 Aug 2026N/a

  the development will consist of renovations and alterations of the existing first floor apartment located above D. & D.'s Fruit & Veg, including (1) demolition of the pitched roof to the first floor rear projection (2) replacement roof to the existing first floor apartment, (3) internal alterations and improvements to the existing first floor apartment & ground floor access way (4) elevational changes. Permission is also sought for all associated site works and services. The development is located within Kells Historic Core Architectural Conservation Area, and a Zone of Archeological potential

  Permission · Meath County Council, 2661008

• 10 Jul 2026Conditional

  to construct a single storey extension to rear of dwelling house to include 2no bedrooms, kitchen area, utility, bathroom & plant room together with all associated site development works on site

  Permission · Meath County Council, 2660872

• 26 Jun 2026N/a

  to construct a single storey extension to rear of dwelling house to include 2no bedrooms, kitchen area, utility, bathroom & plant room together with all associated site development works on site at 22 St. Brigids Terrace, Kells. A82 C7P0

  Permission, 1 home · Meath County Council, 2660802

• 16 Jun 2026Refused

  The development will consist of the installation of 1no. digital screen at ground floor level along the front façade (south elevation). The screen will be located internally within the existing window display.

  Permission · Meath County Council, 2660742

• 26 Mar 2026Conditional

  retention permission for existing private residence, existing septic tank, and planning permission to install new entrance onto main road, proposed percolation area, including all ancillary site works

  Permission · Meath County Council, 2693

• 27 Feb 2026N/a

  the phased mixed-use commercial development will consist of: (i) the first section of the new distributor road (as permitted by Part 10 Application PL17.304799) including alterations to the Bective Street and Bective Road junction; (ii) construction of an access road with vehicular access provided via the new distributor road; (iii) Block 1 a single storey retail unit of c. 3,667 sq.m gross floor area (c. 1,776 sq.m convenience net sales area and c. 476 sq.m comparison net sales area) including a licensed alcohol sales area, service yard; (iv) a double height Block 2 (c. 1,366 sq.m total gross floor area) comprising a new post office (c. 285 sq.m) and a bulky goods retail unit (c. 1,075 sq.m); (v) a double height Block 3 (c. 509 sq.m total gross floor area) comprising 2 no. retail units (c. 219 sq.m & c. 284 sq.m); (vi) a two storey Block 4 (c. 838 sq.m total gross floor area) comprising 3 no. retail units (c. 105 sq.m; c. 87 sq.m & c. 88 sq.m) at ground floor level with 3 no. office units above (c.105 sq.m; c. 87 sq.m & c. 88 sq.m); alterations to the front facade of the existing post office unit including the creation of an enlarged pedestrian archway with associated alterations at roof level and demolition of structures to the rear to provide for a café unit (c. 94 sq.m) at ground floor level and office space (c. 94 sq.m) at first floor level; (vii) provision of a pedestrian link from Bective Street through the enlarged archway; (viii) signage including 1 no. internally illuminated double-sided free standing sign (5.7m x 2.3m); (ix) 158 no. car parking spaces; (x) 52 no. cycle parking spaces; (xi) set down/loading bay areas; (xii) 2 no. surface water attenuation tanks, a flood compensatory storage tank and associated wetlands area including a ditch/watercourse diversion, plant, ESB substation, lighting, and all landscaping, enabling works and site services. An Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) and Natura Impact Statement (NIS) are submitted with the application

  Permission · Meath County Council, 2660242

• 5 Feb 2026N/a

  the development will consist of the erection of 6 number 4 bed semi-detached dwellings, Permission also sought for site entrance onto public road, internal service road, footpaths and grass margins, associated landscaping, public lighting and open space and connections to public services and to include for all ancillary and associated site works

  Permission, 1 home · Meath County Council, 2660138

• 8 Dec 2025Conditional

  the development consists of and will consist of the following: (1) Demolition of existing boundary concrete wall and soil embankment (2) Construction of new concrete retaining wall over entire south western boundary (3) All ancillary site works

  Permission · Meath County Council, 2561337

• 1 Dec 2025Conditional

  the development will consist of the change of use of the ground floor of the premises from retail to the use as a food takeaway outlet with ancillary dine in capacity for the sale of hot food for consumption off and on the premises.

  Permission · Meath County Council, 2561311

• 14 Nov 2025N/a

  We, Arceus Developments Limited to apply for Planning Permission for development at this site: Farrell Street / Bective Street Kells Co Meath. The development consists of and will consist of the following: (1) Demolition of existing boundary concrete wall and soil embankment (2) Construction of new boundary wall over entire south western boundary (3) All ancillary site works. The planning application may be inspected, or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the planning authority during its public opening hours and that a submission or observation in relation to the application may be made to the authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application, and such submissions or observations will be considered by the planning authority in making a decision on the application. The planning authority may grant permission subject to or without conditions or may refuse to grant permission. Signed: Michael Hetherton Arch. & Eng. Services Ltd, Cogan Street, Oldcastle, Co. Meath 049 8542911

  Permission · Meath County Council, 2561242

• 13 Nov 2025Conditional

  the development consists of the retention of the existing perimeter fence on site

  Retention · Meath County Council, 2561234

• 7 Nov 2025N/a

  the development consists of and will consist of the following: (1) Demolition of existing boundary concrete wall and soil embankment (2) Construction of new boundary wall over entire south western boundary (3) All ancillary site works

  Permission · Meath County Council, 2561215

• 4 Jul 2025Conditional

  the development will consist of the construction of 2 no. single story extensions to the existing school (1937sqm) - SEN accommodation (462sqm), 2 no. SET rooms (50.5sqm) and the widening of the entrance road to the school. SEN accommodation includes a central activity space, 2 no. class bases, WC and a changing places toilet. External works include 6 no. new car parking spaces for SEN, new play areas, hard & soft landscaping, removal of existing handball court walls, widening of the entrance road, and all associated siteworks

  Permission · Meath County Council, 2560689

• 27 Jun 2025Conditional

  the proposed development consists of a retail warehouse park comprising of five units. Unit 1 consists of a 944.1 sq.m retail warehouse with office space, toilets, canteen, circulation areas, and goods storage. Unit 2 consists of a 955.6 sq.m retail warehouse with office space, toilets, canteen, circulation areas, and goods storage. Unit 3 consists of a 955.6 sq.m retail warehouse with office space, toilets, canteen, circulation areas, and goods storage. Unit 4 consists of a 1090.9 sq.m retail warehouse with office space, toilets, canteen, circulation areas, and goods storage. Unit 5 consists of a 3670.2 sq.m retail warehouse with office space, toilets, canteen, circulation areas, and goods storage. The development will also include the construction of a new pedestrian and vehicular entrance on Cavan Road (R147), gated service yard, MV ESB Substation and switch room, totem signage, site lighting, boundary treatments, landscaping, new connections to the existing foul and storm drainage system, watermain, car parking, EV charging spaces, cycle parking spaces, and all associated site development works

  Permission · Meath County Council, 2560665

• 4 Jun 2025Conditional

  conversion of existing attic space comprising of modification of existing roof structure, new gable window, new access stairs, 2no. roof windows to the front and flat roof dormer to the rear

  Permission · Meath County Council, 2560564

• 26 May 2025Conditional

  the development will consist of: a two adjacent single story buildings (each 12.2m x 8m) and a modular cabin (12.2m x 3.6m). The buildings will house a Recreation area, WC, Kitchenette and a Woodwork Workshop. There will also be bicycle and car parking spaces

  Permission · Meath County Council, 2560522

• 26 May 2025Conditional

  demolition of an existing storage shed and the construction of a single storey 2 classroom SEN extension to the south-west elevation of the existing school block together with new play yard, replacement storage shed, connections to services and all associated site works

  Permission · Meath County Council, 2560533

• 11 Apr 2025Conditional

  the development will consist of the demolition of a detached two-storey derelict building to the rear and the erection of a part two-storey, part single-storey extension to the rear of existing two-storey building comprising shop and dwelling which is a Protected Structure. Also, to include for connections to public services, private parking and all ancillary and associated site works. Significant Further Information/Revised Plans submitted on this application

  Permission, 1 home · Meath County Council, 2560373

• 26 Mar 2025Conditional

  the development will consist of the construction of 84.40 metre square, single storey, Semi-Independent Living Unit to the side of the existing, 2 storey, 3-bedroom family dwelling. Proposed development will also consist of all site and services works

  Permission · Meath County Council, 2560300

• 20 Mar 2025Conditional

  the development will consist of an increase of 14 additional child places per session within existing complex and within existing operating hours at The Montessori Story

  Permission · Meath County Council, 2560281

• 11 Mar 2025Conditional

  the revised development consists of modifications to the previously approved planning application (Ref: 24/60753), which was granted on 18/09/2024. The proposed changes include the removal of the existing flat roof over the domestic garage and utility, the provision of a two-story extension to the front and rear of the existing domestic garage (previously approved as a single-story extension), the construction of a new roof, change of use from the existing domestic garage to residential use (bedroom and en-suite) with connecting doors to the main residence, the construction of an open porch, and all associated ancillary works

  Permission · Meath County Council, 2560237

• 5 Mar 2025Conditional

  The development is located within the curtilage of a Protected Structure (LA RPS ID 90512, NIAH Reg. No. 14313019). The development will consist of the demolition of an existing single storey derelict storage building and the reconfiguration of the car parking layout, and all ancillary site development works.

  Permission · Meath County Council, 2560217

• 16 Dec 2024Conditional

  the removal the existing utility room extension, the boiler room and the existing sun room. Planning permission is being sought to construct a kitchen extension to the rear of the house (south facing), the construction of a sun room extension to the side of the house (east facing) an infill porch to the front of the house (north facing), to increase the width of the existing entrance to 4.50M between the piers, together with all ancillary works

  Permission · Meath County Council, 24460

• 6 Dec 2024Conditional

  the development will consist of Revisions to a Planning Permission Previously Granted under Planning Ref: 22379 and will include the following: (A) Revised design of dwelling house and revised design of detached domestic garage. (B) Revised site layout along with revised site boundaries. (C) All ancillary site works

  Permission, 2 homes · Meath County Council, 24450

• 6 Dec 2024N/a

  the development will consist of the demolition of existing residence and the construction of a new two storey detached residence and 6 No. apartments, (2 No. two bed and 4 No. one bed) including bin storage, bicycle storage and parking including all ancillary site works

  Permission, 1 home · Meath County Council, 24449

The 25 most recent of over 100 applications.

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: River Boyne and River Blackwater SAC 002299
• Special Protection Area: River Boyne and River Blackwater SPA 004232

Recorded monuments

• ME017-044 Historic town
  Description

  Located on the summit of and on the N, E and S-facing slopes of a low hill on the E side of the Hill of Lloyd. Numerous prehistoric artefacts have been found within the town and it may have been an important prehistoric centre before it became a Christian one (Bradley and King 1985, 70). It was reputed to be a stronghold of Diarmait Mac Cerbhill, King of the southern Uí Néill who died in AD 565, and it was known as Cenannas na Rí defended by a múr or wall in Old and Middle Irish tales. Ceanannas means ‘white-headed’ or pale (Simms and Simms 1990, 1), and a rath (ME017-044028-) at least was probably present before the Columban monastery was established (ME017-044012-). When the monastic community of Iona left St Columba’s original monastery after some of the earliest Viking raids recorded in Britain or Ireland c. 800 AD they set up at Ceanannas. The templum or principal church was built by 814, and the relics of the saint were brought here ultimately, although they might also have spent time at Screen (ME032-047003-). Its most precious relic was the richly illuminated Book of Kells, which was probably produced in Iona c. 800 but during the later middle ages it was kept on the altar of the parish church (ME017-044031-) until 1653 when it made its way to Dublin and ultimately to the Royal Irish Academy (Simington 1960, 241-2). In addition to the original Gospels it records some pre-Anglo-Norman charters for parcels of the monastery’s lands. The size and prosperity of the new foundation is illustrated by its history as the head of the Columban familia until c. 1150, and the extent of its ecclesiastical enclosure (dims c. 280m x c. 350m). Furthermore, it was a renowned metal-working centre and the shrines of the Cathac and the Misach were made at Kells (Ó Floinn 1995, 120, 126). The monastery was attacked frequently by Viking and Irish war-bands in the tenth to twelfth centuries, one of the last being led by Dermot McMurrough in AD 1170. Kells became a diocesan centre and the locus of an important reforming Church synod in 1152, by which time it was under the sway of O’Rourke of Breifne. The monastery may have functioned as a town, and Hugh de Lacy made it the caput or centre of a manor before 1176 when he discontinued building a castle at the approach of an Irish army. Hugh’s son Walter conferred a charter on Kells sometime after 1194 (MacNiochaill 1964, vol. 1, 124-5). The town was burned in 1203 and by 1211 it had lost its episcopal status to Trim and the Columban monastery became a parish church (ME017-044031-). In 1315 Edward Bruce put to flight an army under Roger de Mortimer outside the town (Orpen 1911-20, vol. 3, 173), but the location and significance of this encounter (ME017-052----) is uncertain. The earliest murage grant was made after this in 1326 (Simms and Simms 1990, 2). Kells was always a frontier town and a section of the Pale ditch (ME016-010----) survives c. 3km NW of it. In the fifteenth century it was under pressure from the O’Reillys of Cavan and the burgeses complained of the high level of murage required for the upkeep of its defences. Nevertheless, Kells was a fairly prosperous urban centre and in 1598 it was listed as one of the four walled towns of Meath (Hogan 1878, 91). In 1642 a synod of the Catholic bishops of the Armagh archdiocese met at Kells and in 1647 the town was captured by Confederate Catholic forces. The town walls were described as ruined in the Civil Survey (1654) when 24 proprietors of 1640 are listed, 18 of whom are described as papists. A castle, a church with a steeple, a tuck mill and two corn mills are listed together with ‘divers houses and cabins, a stone quarry, a watch tower (the round tower), a fishing weir and two waste mills’ (Simington 1940, 279). A valuation of 1663 lists 32 proprietors of 1640 and 150 tenements in 1663 (Simington 1960, 233-4). In this survey about a third of the plots are described as ‘waste’, but the extant houses are usually of three or four rooms, the walls are of clay and stone, and the roofs are most frequently of thatch. The gardens can be quite long, frequently over 100 feet (c. 30m) in length. The named streets are: Shaffolk (Suffolk), Connaught (Canon), Carrick, Cross, St. John’s or Navan, and Maudlin. The terrier or commentary of the Down Survey (1655-8) barony map describes Kells as ‘a walled town where a market is held every Thursday. There are five gates, a castle, a church, a high watch tower (the round tower), the house called St Colmcille’s cell with several houses and cabins in repair and two abbeys – one without Canon Gate called Lady’s Abbey and the other without Dublin Gate called St John’s Abbey.’ An area S of the ecclesiastical enclosure was known as Siofic in pre-Anglo-Norman sources (AFM 1156) and this suburb is probably the root of the name Suffolk St. The extent of the Anglo-Norman town based on the 1663 valuation and the burgage plots recorded in the 1836 edition of the OS 6-inch map encloses a large area of about 20 ha (c. 52 acres). Apart from one mural tower there are no upstanding remains of the medieval defences, although its line can be deduced from the Down Survey maps and the valuation of 1663. The line ran from the mural tower S of Canon St westwards along the back of properties on the S side of that street to Canon Gate where it turned N along the E side of the Fair Green to Carrick Gate. It followed the back of properties on the N side of Carrick Street to Maudlin Gate on the eponymous street. From this point it ran to the E of properties on the E side of Castle Street and continued to the Dublin Gate at the W end of what is now Headfort Place. From here the wall followed a line at the back of properties on the S side of Kenlis Place and Farrell Street, crossed the N end of Bective Street at Trim Gate and ran by the back of properties on the W side of Suffolk Street to the mural tower. Archaeological monitoring (E004375) of street trenches by Melanie McQuade within the town has produced evidence of habitation at the E end of Canon St., in Suffolk St., at the N end of Farrell St., in Market St., John St. and at the S end of Maudlin St. for which see: https://excavations.ie/report/2011/Meath/0022769/ The most extensive deposits were in Church St. (ibid.) where the potential had already been identified by testing (10E0405) (Walsh and Bailey (2013). The surviving remains consist of St Columba’s House (ME017-044011-) and the site of the parish church (ME017-044012-) at the core of the early monastery with the round tower and three high crosses and other remains in the graveyard. The site of St John’s friary (ME017-044026-) is in a graveyard on the Navan Road where there are some medieval graveslabs. The market cross has been moved to a new position (ME017-044043-) also on the Navan Road beside the old Court House that is now a heritage centre, for which see this web-page accessed on 05/04/2019: http://www.visitingkells.ie/the-old-courthouse.html Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 16 April 2019

• ME017-044001 Cross - High cross
  Description

  The cross known as the Market Cross was situated at the junction of Market St. and Castle St., on the perimeter of the ecclesiastical enclosure (ME017-044025-) defining the monastic site of Ceanannus. However, it is not known if this is its original location since an inscription on the shaft says the cross was erected by Robert (Ba)lfe in 1688. Nevertheless, Swan (1998) avers that it is a termon or boundary cross in its original position on the perimeter of the monastery. In any case what was the S face was probably facing E originally. The cross was moved to its present location (ME017-044043-) in front of the Court House between the Dublin and Headford roads in 2001 (King 2004)and erected correctly with what had been the S face now facing E. The Court House has been converted into an interpretive centre for the history of the town, but it is currently closed for conservation works. Even the lesser sides of the shaft of this ringed cross have decorated panels, and it can be dated to the 10th century. The cross (H 2.75m; Wth 1.65m) has a shaft (dims 0.53m x 0.37m) with damaged roll-moulding set in a pyramidal base (dims at base 1.34m x 1.25m; H 0.6m) decorated with hunting and riding scenes. The panels are listed from the bottom as they were at Market St. The E face has the betrayal of Judas, Peter cuts off an ear, and the flagellation of Christ. The W face has an unidentified scene, the judgement of Solomon, Samuel anointing David, and the pillar of fire. The S face has a panel of spirals, Christ in the tomb, David proclaimed King of Israel, Adam and Eve with Cain and Abel. The head has David and his harp beneath Daniel in the lions’ den at the crux, with the sacrifice of Isaac and the temptation of Anthony on either side. The N face has the Balfe inscription, Christ and the little children, the healing of the centurion’s servant, and the miracle of the loaves and fishes. The crucifixion is at the crux with the denial of Peter, the temptation of Anthony, and Saints Paul and Anthony. At the W end of the arms is David slaying the lion and Saints Paul and Anthony in the desert are at the E end. The top of the cross is missing. (Harbison 1992, 1, 103-08) The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Meath' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1987). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload/revision: 2 July 2014

• ME017-044003 Castle - unclassified
  Description

  Hugh de Lacy established a manor at Kells but its castle, probably a motte, was abandoned in 1176 after an Irish attack (Orpen 1911-20, 2, 78). However, a castle is mentioned again in 1212 (Davies and Quinn 1941, 31), although neither its subsequent fate nor its location are known. A description of the town in 1663 (Simington 1960, 234, 262) describes a stone and lime walled castle of three storeys with a vault that was known as the Thoulsell at the S end of Maudlin St., now Castle St. This may have been designed to serve as a town hall and market house at the centre of the market, and in the early eighteenth century it was used as a court house (Simms and Simms 1990, 4). Two Headford estate maps dating from 1762 and 1817 show this castle in an island surrounded by streets opposite the Market Cross (ibid. maps 4, 5), and it is probably the castle described by Isaac Butler in 1740 (1892, 129). Two early nineteenth century illustrations (Simms and Simms 1990, 1, 9) depict it as an oblong block of two or three bays and two storeys, with a circular corner tower on Market St. The tower was probably for a stairs and has machicoulis on the parapet and a high conical roof. There is also a lintelled doorway in a round-arched surround, probably inserted, at the base of the tower. The windows were large rectangular sash windows that had probably been inserted under brick relieving arches. One view shows trees growing on the parapet, although it was still occupied. Perhaps it is not surprising that it had been removed by the 1830s when the Ordinance Survey mapped the town. (Bradley and King 1985, 74) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of revised upload: 16 April, 2019

• ME017-044004 Town defences
  Description

  The town defences of Kells enclosed an area of c. 20 ha (c. 52 acres) and had a circumference of 1.8 km. The date of construction is uncertain but the earliest murage grant was in 1326 (Simms and Simms 1990, 2). In 1462 Parliament agreed to continue an existing murage grant (Berry 1914, 25). The walls were maintained into the 17th century and were scaled by Catholic Confederate troops when they captured the town in 1647. The walls were described as ruined in the Civil Survey (1654-6) but the Down Survey (1656-8) noted that Kells had a stone wall with five gates: Canon Gate, Carrick Gate at the N end of the Fair Green, Maudlin Gate, Dublin Gate on Headford Place, and Trim Gate on Bective Street. Apart from one mural tower there are no upstanding remains of the medieval defences, although its line can be deduced from the Down Survey maps and a valuation of the town in 1663 (Simington 1960, 267-8). The line ran from the mural tower S of Canon Street westwards along the back of properties on the S side of that street to Canon Gate, but testing (01E0979) at this angle has failed to produce any evidence of it (Shanahan 2003). The wall turned N along the E side of the Fair Green to Carrick Gate. The wall is thought to have followed the back of properties on the N side of Carrick Street to Maudlin Gate on the eponymous street, but archaeological testing (01E1145) has so far failed to confirm this (Hayden 2006). It ran to the E of properties on the E side of Castle Street and continued to the Dublin Gate at the W end of Headfort Place. From here the wall followed a line at the back of properties on the S side of Kenlis Place and Farrell Street, crossed the N end of Bective Street at Trim Gate and ran by the back of properties on the W side of Suffolk Street to the mural tower, although testing on Bective St (06E0634) and the S side of Canon St (06E0634) has yet to confirm this (Roynane 2009). The land falls away steeply to the S of the surviving tower which is in a naturally defensive location. The tower is circular (ext. diam. 5.1m), and constructed of roughly coursed limestone. It has two floors and a basement. At the first storey are three large slits covering the town wall and the area to the S, and there is a garderobe chute. At the second storey there is machicolation on the W side and a large window on the S side. The parapet does not survive. (Bradley and King 1985, 74-76) The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Meath' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1987). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of revision: 16 April 2019

• ME017-044011 Church
  Description

  St. Columb’s House is located towards the top of a N-facing slope within the ecclesiastical enclosure of Kells. It is in a rectangular enclosure (dims c. 20-25m N-S; c. 17m E-W) defined by masonry walls, but there is no evidence of burials associated with it. This is a stone-roofed church with a second chamber in the steep pitch of the roof. The structure was conserved by OPW in the 1870s (Deane 1877-78, 77) but much of the ground around and within it had already been lowered, exposing deep foundations, and this complicates interpretations of the structure. The ground floor is a rectangular chamber (int. dims c. 5.8m E-W; c. 4.7m N-S) with a barrel vault (present H c. 7m). The upper chamber (int. L c. 4.55m) is divided into three by buttresses that have crude arched openings (Wth c. 0.53m). A rectangular doorway towards the E end of the S wall is post-medieval and located almost entirely in the foundations of the building. The original doorway, now destroyed and with the opening blocked, was in the W wall. The only original features are gable-headed windows in the E wall and towards the E end of the S wall at the original ground floor. The ground floor was provided with a wooden ceiling, evidenced by the lack of plaster above the windows, and this served as the floor of an upper chamber or loft that was lit only by a small window in the W wall. An opening in the lower vault at the W end allows access to the upper vault that is lit only by a rectangular window in the E wall. St. Columb’s House is one of the smallest of the stone-roofed churches in Ireland. Leask (1955, 33-4) accepted it as the church completed in AD 814, which was damaged in a Viking raid in 819. More recent research identifies St. Columb’s House as one of a group of double-vaulted churches built around AD 1100 as shrine chapels (Ó Carragáin 2010, 262-3). For Leask the upper vault was necessitated by the weight of stone that would otherwise have borne down on the arch below, thus creating a space that might not have been used. However, the upper vault is accessible, is provided with two internal buttresses and an E window and could be utilised. Ó Carragáin posits with considerable scholarship that the double-vaulted churches, being consistently of small design at subsidiary locations within larger monasteries served as reliquary churches designed to house enshrined relics, perhaps in the care of anchorites (ibid. 263-8). In the context of Kells, a charter of 1073-87 recognises Dísert Coluim Cille – the hermitage of Colum Cille – as a community within the monastery. The Annals record that the relics of the saint were carried off in 1127 by Vikings, but were restored to his tigh or house within a month. This may be the earliest reference to the existing structure that could have been commissioned to replace an older chapel by the Uí Mael Seachnail sept of the southern Uí Neill, who were patrons of Kells. If so it was a forlorn attempt to bolster Kells as the recognised head of the familia, or family, of Columbine monasteries that it would lose to Derry by 1150, dashing any hopes of the Uí Mael Seachnail to retain a claim on the High Kingship. The Uí Mael Seachnail power in Meath was effectively broken in 1094, and a likely period for the construction of St. Columba’s House is 1080-86. This coincides with the period when Kells was recognised as a centre of excellence in the production of metalwork for shrines like the Cathach (ibid. 282-4). It is a National Monument (Harbison 1970, 187) The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Meath' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1987). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. See attached view from S. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of revision: 15 July 2014

• ME017-044012 Church
  Description

  St. Colum Cille – Colum of the church - also known as Columba, is one of the best known and best documented of Irish saints. He was descended through his father, Feidhlimidh, from the Ceinéal Conaill, the ruling dynasty of Donegal. His mother, Eithne’s, connections are less secure, some associating her with the Uí Bhairrche of Carlow and Wexford or, more probably, with the Corbraighe of Fánaid, in north Donegal. Since the 12th century he is associated with Patrick and Bridget as one of Ireland’s national saints, and his cult has spread throughout Ireland, Scotland and further afield. His biography by Adhamhnán, written c. AD 700, is one of the earliest examples of Irish hagiography, but like all such works should be read with caution. Colum was educated by Finnnian of Movilla, Co. Down, where he is said to have surreptitiously copied his teacher’s Gospels. Although it is a later legend this is said to have resulted in a judgement against him, the battle of Cúil Dreimhne, and his subsequent self-exile to Scotland where he founded his most famous monastery at Iona between AD 558 and 574. After his death in 597 Iona became a springboard for the evangelisation of northern Britain (Ó Riain 2011, 211-4). Prior to leaving Ireland he is said to have founded many monasteries, but Kells was not one of them, although Cogan (1862-70 vol. 1, 39), following Archdall, records abbots in the 7th century. The foundation of Kells (Ceanannus) arose from Viking raids on Iona after AD 802, when some of the community moved to Kells with many relics and treasures, possibly including the Cathach and the Book of Kells. All the features at Kells date from after this removal, and in 807 it is recorded that the church of Columba at Kells (Ceanannus) was destroyed. St. Colum’s feast is celebrated on 9 June. St. Columba’s house (ME017-044011-) was built after the removal to Kells, but this is likely to have occured in the late 11th century (Ó Carragain 2010, 282-85). In 903 Kells was plundered by Maelseachnaill, and in 918 it was sacked by Vikings for the first time. In 949 the Vikings made Kells a centre for their extensive raids on monasteries in the vicinity. Over the next 200 years almost 20 raids against Kells or burnings of the monastery are recorded in the annals, including one by Dermot Mac Murrough in 1170. In 1005 a great book, possibly the Book of Kells, was stolen but was recovered soon afterwards, minus its gold cover. (Cogan 1862-70, 1, 38-42) At a Church synod held at Kells in 1152 the primacy of Armagh was re-iterated and the provinces of the archbishops and the territories of the dioceses, which they essentially hold down to the present, were settled. The dioceses reflected the political realities of the time, and the Meath diocese, centred first at Clonard and later at Trim, encompassed the kingdom of Meath at probably its greatest extent. Kells is listed as the centre of what was to become Kilmore diocese, which was not otherwise named, but this reflected the growing importance of the O’ Rourke kingdom of Breiffne in counties Cavan and Leitrim. However Kells had lost its diocesan status by 1211 when it was absorbed into the Meath diocese. (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 82) Thereafter the church at the centre of Kells became parochial (ME017-044031-), although Cogan (1862-70, vol. 1, 200-4) conflates it with St. Mary’s Augustinian abbey (ME017-044039-). A church undoubtedly existed where the present Church of Ireland church of St. Columba is located from the inception of the monastery, and this may be the daimhliag burnt by Vikings in AD 918 (ibid, 1, 39), but no evidence of a structure remains. However, the round tower and four high crosses in the rectangular St. Columba’s graveyard (dims c. 95m E-W; c. 65-70m N-S), which is defined by masonry walls, are ample evidence of an early church here. The graveyard is within an ecclesiastical enclosure (diam. c. 300-350m) now fossilised in the curving street system outlined by Carrick, Castle, Cross, and Farrell Streets, the Fair Green at the W, and the line of the medieval town wall on the S and SW. It is possible that this enclosure was an ancient and abandoned Royal pagan site before it enclosed the monastery. The monastery and its enclosure are located on the N and E-facing slopes of a broad hill. After it lost its status as a diocesan centre in the early 13th century, the old monastic centre became a parish church but little documentation relates to it. According to an inscription on the tower the church underwent major repairs in 1579, and Dopping records (1682-5) that the church and chancel were derelict since 1641 but were then being repaired. At that time it had chapels dedicated to St. Mary and St. Nicholas, and a steeple, by which he probably meant the tower (Ellison 1973, 7). The tower (ext. dims 9m E-W; 8m N-S) is just N of the present church and has three surviving floors. It has corner buttresses and good quoins, one at the NW angle with the Plunkett coat of arms. There are string courses at the first and second floors. There are two external niches with hood mouldings rising from the first floor string-course on the W wall. The crease of a pitched roof is visible at first floor level on the S side over a filled-in arch, indicating that the church was to the S of the tower. The ground floor has an E-W barrel vault with a hole for bell-pulls. There is a blocked twin-light ogee-headed window in the E wall and a pointed chamfered doorway internally at the SW angle accesses the newel stairs to the upper floors, which were entered through lintelled doorways. The second floor or belfry stage has a twin-light transomed, ogee-headed window with quatrefoil above on each face. The original parapet was removed when a steeple was added in 1783. (Bradley and King 1985, 77-8) The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Meath' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1987). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload/revision: 2 July 2014

• ME017-044013 Round tower
  Description

  The round tower is SW of the present Church of Ireland church and the likely site of the daimhliag. It is now incorporated into the masonry wall of the graveyard (ME017-04434-). It was extant in 1076 as in that year Murchadh O’Melaghlin, King of Tara, was murdered in it (Cogan 1862-70, 1, 41). It is constructed on a plinth resting on rock outcrop. The entrance doorway on the N side is 1.5m above the raised level of the graveyard and is round-arched and of sandstone. The tower (int. diam. 2.6m at the doorway) has five floors and has five pointed windows at the top. The conical cap is missing. (Barrow 1979, 168) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 2 July, 2014

• ME017-044014 Cross - High cross
  Description

  The south cross is also known as the cross of Saints Patrick and Columba because of the inscription on its base. The ringed cross (H 2.7m; Wth 1.25m) has a shaft (dims 0.51m x 0.29m) and stands on a pyramidal base (dims at base 1.45m x 1.3m; H 0.6m) which has a hunting scene on the E face. The worn edges of the cross have roll mouldings, but no frames separate the panels. Panels are listed from the bottom. The E face has representations of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, the children in the furnace, and Daniel in the lion’s den. The head has interlace with seven bosses at the crux, the sacrifice of Isaac, Saints Paul and Anthony, and David playing a harp. The W side has a crucifixion on the shaft and Christ in majesty on the head. The extremities of the arms have David killing a lion at N and at S, while the top has Centaur (S) and SS Patrick and Columba (?) at N. (Harbison 1992, vol. 1, 108-11) See attached image Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 2 July, 2014

• ME017-044015 Cross - High cross
  Description

  The west cross is also known as the broken cross. The base (dims at base 1.5m x 1.3m; H 0.83m) supports a shaft (dims 0.77m x 0.46m; H 2.61m) that has on the E face the baptism of Christ, the marriage feast of Cana, the raising of Lazarus, Christ and the adulteress , the presentation of Jesus in the Temple, the three Wise men and Herod (?). The W face has Adam and Eve, Noah’s ark, Moses in Egypt, and Moses with the pillar of fire. The N and S sides have interlace panels. Macalister (1934, 17, 18) read the inscription: Ór do Artgal do rigne I chroisse Muiredaig – ‘Pray for Artgal who made the cross of Muiredach’ running on the E and W faces of the base, but its authenticity is uncertain. (Harbision 1992, vol. 1, 100-03) See the attached image of the E face (001) and images of the arrest of Christ (002) from the E face and Adam and Eve (041) from the W face. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 2 July, 2014

• ME017-044016 Cross - High cross
  Description

  The north cross is now just W of the church tower. It is a circular sandstone cross-base (diam. at base 0.75m; H 0.52m) decorated with interlace. (Harbison 1992, vol. 1, 112) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 2 July, 2014

• ME017-044017 Cross - High cross
  Description

  The east cross is also known as the unfinished cross. The top of the cross and the top of its ring are missing, but it stands (H 3.1m; Wth 2.2m) on a pyramidal base (dims at base 1.65m x 1.65m; H 0.71m). The shaft (dims 0.75m x 0.45m) has raised uncut panels. The only carvings are a crucifixion and the women at the tomb on the E face, and some interlace. (Harbison 1992, vol. 1, 111-2) See the attached image of its E face. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 2 July, 2014

• ME017-044018 Cross-slab
  Description

  From Bradley and King (1985, 1, 80) On the W buttress of the church tower. Limestone fragment with an incised equal armed cross inscribed within a double circle (Roe 1959, 57-9) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 2 July, 2014

• ME017-044019 Tomb - effigial
  Description

  From Bradley and King (1985, 1, 80) Effigial slab. 14th century: Sandstone. Coffin-shaped (Wth 0.39-0.62; H 1.89m; T 0.16m), at the west end of the church. Crucifixion in relief with Mary and John; two civilians separated by the tree of life below. The lady, on the right, wears a wimple and veil, a long robe and mantle held across her breast with a chain. Her hands are joined and her feet, in pointed shoes, rest on flowers. The male is dressed in a pleated gown with tight sleeves and lappets. He has short hair and his head rests on a rectangular cushion, he hold s book and also wears pointed shoes (Hunt 1974, 206, No. 188). This was against the S wall of the church tower, but is now in the church. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 19 January 2015

• ME017-044020 Stone head
  Description

  From Bradley and King (1985, 1, 81) Stone heads Late 16th / 17th century. These are on the S wall of the church tower. O’Connell (1960, 22) says that these were found when the present church was being built. All are on square plaques of limestone. (a) Round face with short hair under a flat cap (Wth c. 0.46m). (b) Bishop with an elaborately embroidered mitre worn over short cropped hair with amice around the neck. (dims c. 0.3m). (C) Woman wearing a flat cap over short cropped hair (Wth c. 0.26m). Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 2 July, 2014

• ME017-044021 Armorial plaque
  Description

  From Bradley and King (1985, 1, 81): 16th century. This is a rectangular (Wth 0.61m; H 0.6m; T 0.12m) plaque of fossiliferous limestone on the S wall of the church tower. It has a heater-shaped shield in false relief, depicting a winged horse rampant with staff and banner. The banner has two crossed swords and four Tudor roses. The crest consists of a kneeling horse placed between the letters N and D. In the spandrels at the base of the shield are two interlace designs. The initials have been identified as those of Nicholas Daly (O’Connell 1960, 20) although Dopping (1682-5) read it as Nicholas Duragon (Ellison 1973, 7). It is 16th century in date. (FitzGerald 1898-1900, 455-6)

• ME017-044022 Cross-inscribed stone
  Description

  From Bradley and King (1985, 1, 80) Stone slabs: In St. Columba’s church there are two thin slatey limestone slabs, one with an incised maltese cross. Both are probably late in date. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 2 July, 2014

• ME017-044023 Sundial
  Description

  From Bradley and King (1985, 1, 82) Sundial. A sandstone sundial (Wth 0.64m; H 1.6m; T 0.12m) is placed against the S wall of the church porch. The dial (diam. 0.32m) is incised on one end and consists of a double ring divided into four quarters by lines which extend beyond the outer ring and terminate in Maltese crosses. These quarters are further divided into 8 divisions while the outer ring is divided into 8 sections. The gnomon hole is not completely perforated. An interlaced letter R is incised above the sundial. This type of sundial is known as a scratch dial and dates from the thirteenth to the late fifteenth century. See the attached image. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 2 July, 2014

• ME017-044024 Font (present location)
  Description

  From Bradley and King (1985, 1, 82) Font A. Inside the church. A well-made polished limestone octagonal font (dim 0.65m; H 1.18m) of uncertain date. It has an octagonal shaft and base. The basin is circular (D 0.2m) with sloping sides and central drainage-hole (Roe 1968, 122). This font is from Moynalvy Church of Ireland church (ME011-013----) which is now closed but the font is probably 19th century in date. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 14 September, 2015

• ME017-044025 Ecclesiastical enclosure
  Description

  The Columban monastery (ME017-044012-) is within a subcircular ecclesiastical enclosure (dims c. 350m E-W; c. 280m N-S), now fossilised in the curving street system outlined in part by Carrick, Castle, Cross, and Farrell Streets, the Fair Green at the W, and the line of the medieval town wall on the S and SW. There may have been an inner enclosure (dims c. 150m E-W; c. 80m N-S) around the graveyard, now marked by Church Hill on the N side and Canon St. on the S and extending as far as Church St. in the E (Simms and Simms 1990, 1-2, fig. 1). Support for this inner enclosure could be provided by medieval deposits in two ditches on a WNW-ESE line at the junction of Church St and Canon St. The W ditch (Wth 3.8m plus; D 0.8m plus) is separated by a deposit of subsoil (Wth of top 1.5m) from an E ditch (Wth of top c. 4m; max. D c. 1m), both of which produced a local Kells type pottery 13-14th century and tile fragments with evidence of smithing in both (P 5, 6). This was discovered in testing (10E0405) the length of Church St on the line of a water-main (Walsh and Bailey 2013; Walsh et al. 2017). It is possible that this enclosure was an ancient and abandoned Royal pagan site before it enclosed the monastery. (Swan 1998) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of revised upload: 16 April, 2019

• ME017-044026 Religious house - Fratres Cruciferi
  Description

  The foundation of a priory of Knights Hospitallers of St. John has been attributed to Walter de Lacy in the late 12th century (O’Connell 1957, 20-1; 1960, 17-18), but the Hospital of St. John the Baptist at Kells was a house of the Fratres Cruciferi or Crutched Friars (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 213). This house is easily confused with the Hospitallers’ grange at Kilmainhambeg, now Kilmainhamwood (ME005-028----). At its suppression in 1540 only the church of St. John was extant, the other buildings having been thrown down, but there was 74 acres of demesne including a water-mill, and other properties around Kells (White 1943, 264-5). It was situated outside the town on the Dublin road, at the bottom of the E-facing slope. There are no visible remains of a church in a rectangular graveyard (dims c. 45m E-W; c. 30m N-S) defined by masonry walls. There is a cross-slab, a 13th-century effigy of a woman, and a large fragment of a graveslab in the graveyard. Archaeological monitoring (02E1244) of the construction of a new wall at the S and W of the graveyard demonstrated that the wall was built on bedrock (D c. 0.6m) at S (Meenan 2004). A full survey of the graveyard inscriptions has been undertaken (Mc Cabe 2007). The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Meath' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1987). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload/revision: 2 July 2014

• ME017-044027 Well
  Description

  Located just W of the graveyard at the site of the Hospital of St. John (ME017-044026-). Archaeological testing (01E0819) in the rear garden of one plot identified a natural spring at one point with medieval pottery in a small deposit (dims 1.1m x 0.5m; D 0.1m) nearby (Meenan 2001, 2003). The spring (diam. 1.2m; D 0.75m) underlay a deposit of masonry rubble with brick and was excavated (03E1899) by Duffy (2006) who interpreted it as a well which had medieval pottery in its fill. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of revised upload: 2 May, 2019

• ME017-044028 Ringfort - rath
  Description

  Archaeological excavation (E00428) by Gretta Byrne in 1987 and 1988 on the site of a new Garda Station identified a portion of the fosse of an enclosure or rath (int. diam. c. 22m) c. 10m NW of St Columba’s House (ME017-044011-), and a section of a thirteenth or fourteenth century channel (ME017-044029-) further E. The rath is located at what was the highest point within the ecclesiastical enclosure (ME017-044025-) and the ground sloped away from it steeply to the E and S and less so in other directions. An arc of the V-sectioned fosse (Wth c. 2.2m; D 1.5m) that was partly cut through bedrock survived SW-NW (excavated L c. 20m) with a widened terminal (Wth 2.8m; D 1.7m) at NW, although the other side of the entrance (Wth 2.5m plus) was not recovered. The fosse had fairly consistent layers throughout with a mix of silt, subsoil and gravel at the bottom (T 0.1-0.5m). This was overlain by compact silty gravel or sand with some lumps of redeposited boulder clay or a silty clay with charcoal and bones. Above this was a more sterile deposit of brown clay with some silty gravel. This was overlain throughout by a layer of stones and bones in a grey silty clay with slippage of subsoil on the inner edge. This produced most of the artefacts recovered and represents occupation debris in the main. This was partly overlain by a gravelly yellow / brown clay (max. T 0.8m) deposited from the inner side, which may represent a levelling of the bank across the ditch, matched by a less substantial deposit from the outside. Above this and along the entire ditch was a centrally placed layer of brown clay flecked with charcoal and containing some bones. Over sixty stake-holes forming two lines converging inwards were in the entrance area at NW. In the same area was a flat stone platform (dims 1.5m NW-SE; 0.4m NE-SW) which may be the remnant of a path, beneath which in a small pit (diam. 0.3m; D 0.1m) were 31 sherds of a flat-based pottery vessel that might be of coarse Beaker type, and one sherd of another vessel. The basal silt of the ditch produced a small blue glass bead but in the layer above a bronze brooch with a kidney-shaped ring that had an amber stud in a roundel on the front was found. This could date to the seventh or eighth century (Stevenson 1987), pre-dating the foundation of the Columban monastery (ME017-044012-). Layers above this produced fragments of bronze plates and pins. Iron objects included a knife and what might be part of an escutcheon, an awl, a ring and one furnace bottom. There were stone hones and a spindle whorl and bone pins. There were two pits 1m (dims 1.3m x 1.1m; D 0.5m) and 4m (dims 2.4m x 1-1.4m; D c. 0.25m) outside the ditch which were probably contemporary with it but produced few artefacts apart from a cylindrical bead of pale green glass with applied yellow glass from the second. (Byrne 1988) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 16 April 2019

• ME017-044029 Excavation - miscellaneous
  Description

  Archaeological excavation (E00428) by Gretta Byrne in 1987 and 1988 on the site of a new Garda Station identified a rath (ME017-044028----) and a slightly curved and round-bottomed medieval ditch (Wth 1.2-1.55m; D 0.45-0.8m) that extended NW-SE (L 15m plus) across the development area c. 5m outside the projected line of the E side of the rath. It had a single fill of homogenous brown gravelly loam with some charcoal flecks and bones. Five sherds of glazed pottery, two probably French imports, dating from the late thirteenth or early fourteenth century were recovered. The channel probably followed the natural slope, does not appear to have been open long, and would have run E of St Columba’s House (ME017-044011-). (Byrne 1988, 14-5, 26-7) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 16 April, 2019

• ME017-044030 Memorial stone
  Description

  From Bradley and King (1985, 1, 81) On the W wall of the church tower. Rectangular chamfered limestone plaque (Wth 0.64m; H 0.5m) with an incised inscription in roman lettering: This wyndowe / was builded bi Ri / chared [Fl] ou [d]I, of / Kenlis merchau / nt the 1[2] of iuli / 1578 whose soule / God take to his / mercies. (Cogan 1862-70, vol. 1, 204; FitzGerald 1898-1900, 4, 456) Uploaded: 2 July, 2014

• ME017-044031 Church
  Description

  The monastery (ME017-044012-) and its enclosure (ME017-044025-) are located on the E and N-facing slopes of a broad hill. After it lost its status as a diocesan centre in the early 13th century, the old monastic centre became a parish church, but little documentation relates to it (O'Connell 1959, 36). According to an inscription (ME017-044042-) on the tower the church underwent major repairs in 1579, and Dopping records (1682-5) that the church and chancel were derelict since 1641 but were then being repaired. At that time it had chapels dedicated to St. Mary and St. Nicholas, and a steeple, by which he probably meant the tower (Ellison 1973, 7). The tower (ext. dims 9m E-W; 8m N-S) is just N of the present church and has three surviving floors. It has corner buttresses and good quoins, one at the NW angle with the Plunkett coat of arms. There are string courses at the first and second floors. There are two external niches with hood mouldings rising from the first floor moulding on the W wall, probably for statues. The crease of a pitched roof is visible at first floor level on the S side over an in-filled arch, indicating that the church was to the S. The ground floor has an E-W barrel vault with a hole for bell-pulls. There is a twin-light ogee-headed window in the E wall and a pointed chamfered doorway internally at the SW angle accesses the newel stairs to the upper floors, which are entered through lintelled doorways. The second floor or belfry stage has a twin-light transom, ogee-headed window with quatrefoil above on each face. The original parapet was removed when a steeple was added in 1783. (Bradley and King 1985, 77-8) The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Meath' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1987). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload/revision: 2 July 2014

• ME017-044032 Cross-slab
  Description

  There is a granite cross-slab (Wth 0.56m; H 1.69m; T 0.16m) on the S side of the tower of the parish church. It is sub-rectangular and partly damaged, and has an interlaced latin cross in false relief within a border. Above the cross is an Alpha and Omega, an IHS, and a Chi Rho, and along the left side of the slab are the words OR DO RIAG (Bradley and King 1985, 1, 80). Macalister (1934, 20-1) has read the inscription as: OR DO MAEL DO BORGA[N]. It is now in the church. (Roe 1959, 59; O’Connell 1960, 22) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 19 January, 2015

• ME017-044033 Sheela-na-gig
  Description

  Sheela-na-gig now lost that was described in 1857 by W. R. Wilde in the Royal Irish Academy Museum Catalogue as being in situ, ‘in the church (ME017-044031-) of Kells’ (Wilde 1857, 141; Guest 1936, 118; Freitag 2004, 144). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 22 May 2012

• ME017-044034 Graveyard
  Description

  The daimhliag, or principal church, of the Columban monastery (ME017-044012-), which achieved Cathedral status AD 1152-1211, and later became the parish church (ME017-044031-) are in a rectangular graveyard (dims c. 95m E-W; c. 65-70m N-S), which is defined by masonry walls (H c. 2-3m). A round tower, four high crosses and numerous examples of medieval carving are in the graveyard, which is within the ecclesiastical enclosure (ME017-044025-). Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 2 July, 2014

• ME017-044035 Graveyard
  Description

  The priory of the Crutched Friars of St. John at Kells (ME017-044026-) was situated outside the town on the Dublin road, at the bottom of the E-facing slope. There are no visible remains of a church in a rectangular graveyard (dims c. 45m E-W; c. 30m N-S) defined by masonry walls. There is a cross-slab, a 13th-century effigy of a woman, and a large fragment of a graveslab in the graveyard. Archaeological monitoring (02E1244) of the construction of a new wall at the S and W of the graveyard demonstrated that the wall was built on bedrock (D c. 0.6m) (Meenan 2004). Repairs to the graveyard wall were archaeologically monitored (E005304) by N. Roycroft during 2021 and some sixteenth century architectural fragments and a possible sixteenth century graveslab were identified on the surface while the probably site of a church was also recognised (excavations.ie 2021:550). A full survey of the graveyard inscriptions has been undertaken (Mc Cabe 2007) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 2 July, 2014 Amended: 10 March 2023

• ME017-044036 Tomb - effigial
  Description

  The crudely carved effigy of a woman (L 1.43m; Wth 0.34-0.39m; T 0.1-0.15m) is against the N wall at the NW angle of St. John’s graveyard (ME017-044035-). She is wearing a pillbox hat, a long gown belted at the waist and with a broach at her throat. She has a T-shaped walking stick and pointed shoes. (Hickey 1974; Hunt 1974, 206; Mc Cabe 2007, 139) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 2 July, 2014

• ME017-044037 Cross-slab
  Description

  Embedded in the ground at the E end of St. John’s graveyard (ME017-044035-) is a small sandstone cross-slab (Wth 0.33m; H 0.23m; T 6cm) with an incised ringed cross (Wth of stem 5cm). (Bradley and King, 1985, 83; Mc Cabe 2007, 140-1) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 2 July, 2014

• ME017-044038 Graveslab
  Description

  A large fragment of a 16th or 17th century graveslab (L 1.2-1.3m; Wth 0.51-0.62m; T 0.1m) is against the N wall at the NW angle of St. John’s graveyard (ME017-044035-). The top is missing but a cross-shaft (Wth 0.1m) with a triangular base is lightly pecked on its upper surface. (Bradley and King 1985, 93-4; Mc Cabe 2007, 140) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 2 July, 2014

• ME017-044039 Religious house - Augustinian canons
  Description

  A house of Augustinians dedicated to St. Mary was established 1140-8 at Kells at the suggestion of St Malachy, and it may have been a double monastery of canons and nuns since it was described as a dependency of the Arroasian house at Clonard in 1195. The abbey may have been destroyed by the campaigns of Dermot MacMurrough in 1171 or the Anglo-Normans in 1176 since it was re-founded by Hugh de Lacy before 1186 and its charter was confirmed by Richard II at Drogheda in 1395. The charters list extensive lands in counties Meath, Cavan, Louth, Kildare, Leitrim and Fermanagh, and most of the churches of Kilmore diocese were impropriate to the abbey. The canons seem to have been largely Irish throughout its history and to have a close connection with Kilmore diocese, providing its bishop in 1286. In 1409 indulgences were granted as the buildings were in a state of disrepair. In 1420 Pope Martin V appointed John Oraghillich (O’Reilly), ‘a canon of Cruczelingen outside the walls of Constance’ as abbot but he proved to be too radical and was deposed in 1444 to be succeeded by John O’Reilly who was translated to the See of Kilmore in 1465. The abbey was suppressed in 1539 when Richard Plunkett was abbot, and he and two canons received pensions. (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 181; Bradley and King 1985, 82-3) At the Suppression the church was being used as a granary, and in addition there were three chambers and a steward’s room, all occupied by the farmer, William Dormor (White 1943, 262-3). There were 12 acres arable and pasture near the town and 60 acres of scrub. There were other lands beyond that as well as the tithes of seven parishes. In 1541 the property was granted to Sir Gerald Fleminge (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970), and in 1608 it was granted to Gerald Fleming of Cabragh, Kingcourt (O’Connell 1960, 16). The location of the abbey is not absolutely known. A survey of 1655 makes it clear that it was ‘outside Cannon (Canon) Gate’ and a field on the S-facing slope outside the walls here is known as ‘Abbey Field’ (ibid. 15). Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of revised upload; 29 June, 2019

• ME017-044040 Font (present location)
  Description

  The circular font (ext. diam. 0.63m; int. diam. 0.43m; H 0.61m; D 0.25m) with three short legs from the church of Kilshine (ME012-038----) (Roe 1968, 121-2) is now in the graveyard (ME017-044034-) at St. Columba’s Church of Ireland church, in Kells, close to the tower. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload; 2 July, 2014

• ME017-044041 Font (present location)
  Description

  A fragment of a font from Martry church (ME017-037----) is now in St. Columba’s church in Kells. It consists of the lower part of the basin (diam. c. 0.39m) of an octagonal font with ribs at the angles, and an angel’s head and wings on the lower panel. (Roe 1968, 68-9; Bradely and King 1985, 82)

• ME017-044042 Memorial stone
  Description

  From Bradley and King (1985, 1, 80-1) Located on the S wall of the church tower, but originally within the church according to Dopping’s Visitation (1682-5) (Ellison 1973, 7). It consists of two rectangular limestone tablets (Wth 1.46m (approx. H 0.44m) with an incised inscription in mixed gothic and roman lettering: The bodie of this churche being i utter ruyn and decaie was reedi /fied i ano dni 1579 & in ano R. R. Elizabeth XX through the dilig / ce and care of the revered father i god Hughe Brady Byshop of Meat/ he & Sir Thoe Garvie archedeacon of the same and Deane of Christchurch/ i Dubline bothe of here maiestie is privie consaile Sr hereie sionie/Knight of the noble ordire being then Lord Deputie &c. The said reedifying was begane & seatt forward be the advise & daly / carfull travaell of the ancient burgis Nicholas O…./ then being suffranie of Kinllis 2 of Iuli I Ao. Proicto / with other daly furtherins boght the rowff of this / c… uppo his owin proper chargis. God is not unright / at he shuld forget the worke and labour that proced I / which love is shewed for his name is sake. (FitzGerald 1898-1900, 455)

• ME017-044043 Cross - High cross (present location)
  Description

  The cross known as the Market Cross (ME017-044001-) was situated at the junction of Market St. and Castle St., on the perimeter of the ecclesiastical enclosure (ME017-044025-) defining the monastic site of Ceanannus. However, it is not known if this was its original location since an inscription on the shaft says it was erected by Robert (Ba)lfe in 1688. Nevertheless Swan (1998) avers that it is a termon or boundary cross in its original position on the perimeter of the monastery. The cross was moved to its present position in front of the Court House between the Dublin and Headford roads in 2001 (King 2004; 2006) and erected correctly with what had been the S face now facing E. The Court House has been converted into an interpretive centre for the history of the town, but it is currently closed for conservation works. Even the lesser sides of the shaft of this ringed cross have decorated panels, and it can be dated to the 10th century. The cross (H 2.75m; Wth 1.65m) has a shaft (dims 0.53m x 0.37m) with damaged roll-moulding set in a pyramidal base (dims at base 1.34m x 1.25m; H 0.6m) decorated with hunting and riding scenes. The panels are listed from the bottom as correctly displayed in its present position. The N face has the betrayal of Judas, Peter cuts off an ear, and the flagellation of Christ. The S face has an unidentified scene, the judgement of Solomon, Samuel anointing David, and the pillar of fire. The E face has a panel of spirals, Christ in the tomb, David proclaimed King of Israel, Adam and Eve with Cain and Abel. The head has David and his harp beneath Daniel in the lions’ den at the crux, with the sacrifice of Isaac and the temptation of Anthony on either side. The W face has the Balfe inscription, Christ and the little children, the healing of the centurion’s servant, and the miracle of the loaves and fishes. The crucifixion is at the crux with the denial of Peter, the temptation of Anthony, and Saints Paul and Anthony. At the S end of the arms is David slaying the lion and Saints Paul and Anthony in the desert are at the N end. The top of the cross is missing. (Harbison 1992, 1, 103-08) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload; 2 July, 2014

• ME017-045 Ritual site - holy well
  Description

  Situated at the NW edge of a low-lying basin in a small D-shaped enclosure (dims c. 8m NE-SW; c. 5.75m NW-SE) defined by an earthen bank and hedge, c. 500m WSW of the site of the early church (ME017-044012-). It is accessed by a sign-posted path from the Lough Crew road (R 163). The well is one source of a stream that curves around the hill on which Kells is located, running under the streets in places. It curves to the E and N of the town, joining the NW-SE River Balckwater close to the mound (ME017-007----). The well is oval (int. dims 1.2m NW-SE; 0.8m NE-SW) with a masonry canopy that is open (Wth 0.55m; H 1.05m) to the SW. There is no evidence of veneration, but a pattern is held on June 9th since the well was conserved by a local group in 2009. (French 2012, 21-2) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 30 March, 2016

• ME017-054 Timber circle
  Description

  Situated around the base of a low knoll (diam. c. 60m; H c. 2.5-3m) on the S bank of a WSW-ENE section of the River Blackwater, with the stream immediately to the N. It is also at the N base of the Hill of Lloyd, the summit of which is c. 800m to the SW and c. 70m higher. Archaeological monitoring (05E0466) of Phase II of the development of an industrial park identified archaeological material (Finn 2009) which was excavated in two tranches under the same licence (Elliott 2009; Rohan 2009). The summit of the knoll and the NE quadrant of the timber circle are preserved under grass. An arc of 88 post-holes placed c. 0.6-1m apart and accompanied by 19 stake-holes extended SE-WNW at the base of the knoll, which it could have surrounded (diam. c. 85-100m), although there is no evidence that it did. The posts (diam. c. 0.2m) in post-holes (diam. c. 0.35m; D c. 0.3m) were burnt in situ and two possible entrances marked by larger posts were identified at NW (Wth 1.4m) and SE (Wth 3.4m). Pits around the NW entrance were largely sterile, although the largest (dims 2.7m x 1.3m; D 0.53m) held some charred grain. There was a truncated ditch (Wth of top 0.83m; D 0.17m; L 5m) 2m outside the timber circle at W and a ditch placed c. 20m inside the circle, but only the outer ditch appears to be concentric with the timber circle. Thirty four pits inside the timber circle were excavated, and at least three phases of activity can be recognised. A second inner ditch (Wth of top 1.5m; D 0.63m; L 9.3m plus) was only evident at the W side of the knoll, would have cut the line of the timber circle, and extended outside the excavation to the N. The top of the knoll had also been quarried, but this was probably a fairly recent event. (Rohan and Elliott 2009) The inner ditch was traced for more than 102m as it curved slightly around the S and SE sides of the knoll, and extended outside the excavation to the E. Its W terminal was 12m inside the NW entrance of the timber circle, but it would have cut the line of the timber circle at SE. It has a fairly uniform U-shaped profile (Wth of top 1.5-1.8m; D 0.6-0.85m) and it was filled with various silt layers that yielded few artefacts, the most significant of which was a glass bead from its base. A number of pits (diam. 0.3-1m; D 0.05-0.4m) on the S slope of the knoll and inside the ditch were also investigated, but proved to be largely sterile apart from having charcoal inclusions. A concentrated area of 20 pits (dims 0.2-0.9m; D 0.1-0.4m) and 85 stake-holes at the E edge of the excavated area and inside the ditch produced a chert blade and 20 sherds of Neolithic pottery. The inner ditch might be unconnected with the timber circle in time or function, but no radiocarbon dates are available. (Rohan and Elliott 2008) See the attached plan from Rohan (2009, fig. 4) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 4 April, 2019

• ME017-068 Burial
  Description

  Located on a steep S-facing slope with part of the town wall of Kells at the top of the slope and the probable line of another N-S section of the town wall just to the E. Archaeological testing (01E1023) identified an extensive area (dims c. 50m E-W; c. 30m N-S), perhaps delimited by linear gullies at E and W, with human remains. Six W-E supine inhumations with the heads at W were in the topsoil (D 0.5-0.7m) and further inhumations may lie at a deeper level. The tested area has numerous linear features such as gullies and a large ditch running parallel with the N-S line of the town wall could be interpreted as a town ditch. Other features, including burnt mound material at four points and extraneous burials further to the W, were also noted. (Halpin and Doyle 2007) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload; 26 February 2021

• ME017-071 Kiln - corn-drying
  Description

  Situated on a low rise. Archaeological testing (06E1008) by J. McKee identified three archaeological areas (excavations.ie 2007:1330). Area B is a stone-lined Keyhole-shaped corn-drying kiln with a subcircular drying bowl (diam. 1.65-1.7m; D 0.2m) and a flue (L 3.5m; Wth of top 1.1m at S to 1.8m at N) extending N (Wth of base 0.5-1m) to a subrectangular stoke-hole (dims 1.8m E-W; 1.5m N-S; D 0.3m). The fill of the bowl included compacted brown clay with stones from the collapse of the superstructure while the flue was filled with two layers with varying amounts of charcoal. An L-shaped drystone wall added just N and W of the stoke-hole was secondary but directed the draught to the stoke-hole. The kiln and its structure were surrounded by a U-shaped gully (max. Wth 1.8m; max. D 0.5m). A hearth was outside the gully to the NE. (dims 6.5m E-W; 1.8m N-S; D 0.5m). Similar kilns have been dated to the thirteenth and fourteenth century. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 18 November 2021

• ME017-073002 Fulacht fia
  Description

  Situated in a hollow at the bottom of the NE-facing slope of the Hill of Lloyd. Archaeological testing (04E0913) by J. Roynane (2005) at Testing Area 14 of Contract 4 of the M3 motorway identified three spreads of burnt mound material on the route of the N52 Kells link road. The material was on either side of the NW-SE field bank and townland boundary between Commons of Lloyd to the SW and Town Parks to the NE (excavations.ie 2004:1345). These were completely resolved (E003156) by D. Bayley (2010) as Town Parks/Commons of Lloyd 1 in February – March 2007 (excavations.ie 2007:1401) when just over 3700 square metres were opened and three burnt mounds were recorded. This consisted of two spreads (dims 7.25m x 5.45m; T 0.17m: dims 13m x 11.8m; D 0.1m) of grey silt with broken and burnt stone sealing three pits, the largest of which (dims 2.73m x 2.4m; D 0.56m) had a basal fill of silt beneath three layers with burnt mound material added from the W side that was probably a trough. A smaller pit (diam. 1.2m; D 0.2m) just 2m to the W could also have served as a trough as it had a stone lined base beneath a layer of silt and a top fill with burnt mound material. A charred oat grain from the topmost fill in this feature returned a modern C14 date of AD 1684-1929 (UBA 11122) and the material must be regarded as intrusive. Just SE of this pit another cut feature (dims 1.8m x 1.4m; D 0.3m) might also have been a trough with a stone base, and a fragment of alder charcoal from its fill with broken and burnt stone yielded a more acceptable C14 date of 2462-2212 cal. BC (UBA 11124). Some smaller spreads of broken and burnt stone up to 15m to the NW (dims 5.62m x 3.7m; T 0.36m) and 10m to the W (22m plus x 8m; D 0.1m) could be associated with this monument. (Bayley 2010, 6-8) Site the attached site plan and monument plan from Bayley (2010, figs 5, 8) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 11 March 2022

• ME017-073003 Fulacht fia
  Description

  Situated in a hollow at the bottom of the NE-facing slope of the Hill of Lloyd. Archaeological testing (04E0913) by J. Roynane (2005) at Testing Area 14 of Contract 4 of the M3 motorway identified three spreads of burnt mound material on the route of the N52 Kells link road. The material was on either side of the NW-SE field bank and townland boundary between Commons of Lloyd to the SW and Town Parks to the NE (excavations.ie 2004:1345). These were completely resolved (E003156) by D. Bayley (2010) as Town Parks/Commons of Lloyd 1 in February – March 2007 (excavations.ie 2007:1401) when just over 3700 square metres were opened and three burnt mounds were recorded. This consisted of a large spread (diam. 20m; T 0.21m) of dark brown silty clay with broken and burnt stones that covered a possible trough in the form of a circular flat-bottomed pit (diam. 1.2m; max. D 0.96m) filled with redeposited brown/black gravelly silt with burnt stones. This was located at the S extent of the mound and was sealed by mound material. At the NE edge of the mound an oval pit (dims 1.5m x 0.9m; D 0.3m) had a clay lining and a fill of charcoal-rich black sandy silt beneath a top fill of burnt mound material. This mound was cut by numerous post-medieval field drains, and no artefacts were recovered from it. (Bayley 2010, 8-9) Site the attached site plan and monument plan from Bayley (2010, figs 5, 10) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 11 March 2022

• ME017-074 Excavation - miscellaneous
  Description

  Situated on a low W-E spur at the SE base of the Hill of Lloyd. Archaeological testing (04E0914) by S. Delaney (2005) at Testing Area 13 of Contract 4 of the M3 motorway identified numerous archaeological features on the route of the N52 Kells link-road (excavations.ie 2004:1306). The isolated features were spread over a fairly large area (dims c. 120m N-S; c. 50m E-W) and were completely excavated (E003155) in March 2007 by J. Kyle (2010) as Newrath Little 1, even though it is Town Parks (Kells Upper barony) townland. In Area A a hearth (dims 0.57m x 0.5m; D 0.05m) had a fill of a grey/brown sandy clay. A pit (dims 0.75m x 0.46m; D 0.17m) with a similar fill was c. 10m to the SW, and an irregular cut (dims 1.78m x 0.6m; D 0.17m) with a fill of brown silty sand was c. 6m to the E. In Area B, about 45m to the SW, was a collection of four pits (dims 0.34m-1.15m; D 0.04-0.23m) filled with silty sands, the largest of which produced three sherds of a Neolithic carinated bowl. A sample of a hazelnut shell from the lowest fill of this pit yielded a C14 date of 3788-3661 cal. BC (UBA 11100). One pit-burial (diam. 0.68m; D 0.2m) c. 13m to the E had a lower fill of loose brown silt with stones, from which some cremated bone and a fragment of a clay pipe stem were recovered, but the latter is undoubtedly intrusive. There were also traces of N-S furrows in this area. Two small pits (dims 0.7m x 0.55m; D 0.14m: 0.6m x 0.25m; D 0.07m) were c. 33m to the SW and c. 40m to the SE respectively of the group of pits but they produced no artefacts or ecological information. (Kyle 2010) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 11 March 2022

• ME017-076 Fulacht fia
  Description

  Situated on a slight S-facing slope with a small NW-SE canalised stream just to the NE. Archaeological testing (04E0915) by S. Delaney (2005) at Testing Area 12 of Contract 4 of the M3 motorway identified (excavations.ie 2004:1355) archaeological material that was completely excavated (E003152) in December 2006 by Y. Whitty (2010) as Town Parks 6 when an area of 580 square metres was opened and a fulacht fia was recorded (excavations.ie 2007:1400). A spread of broken and burnt stone (dims 10.8m E-W; 4.5m N-S; T 0.15m) was c. 3m W of a rectangular trough (dims 2.48m x 1.5m; D 0.14m) that had postholes in three of its angles. It was filled with a brown/black sandy clay with frequent heat-affected stone inclusions. A fragment of oak charcoal from a twig in one of the post-holes provided a C14 date of 3749-3640 cal. BC (UBA 11101) placing it firmly in the early Neolithic. A gully (L 9m; Wth 1.15m; D 0.33m) filled with a black silty sand and heat-shattered stones extended from the S edge of the mound ESE and cut the S edge of the rectangular trough. A second circular trough (diam. 1.25m; D 0.28m), c. 8m N of the mound was filled with burnt mound material and is probably contemporary. No artefacts were recovered. (Whitty 2010, 5-7) See the attached plan from Whitty (2010, fig. 5) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 11 March 2022

• ME017-077001 House - Neolithic
  Description

  Situated on a slight S-facing slope. Archaeological testing (04E0915) by S. Delaney (2005) at Testing Area 12 of Contract 4 of the M3 motorway identified (excavations.ie 2004:1355) archaeological material that was completely excavated (E003151) in November 2006 by Y. Whitty (2010) as Town Parks 5 when an area of 4782 square metres was opened to record a Neolithic house and structure (excavations.ie 2007:1399). The house is rectangular (int. dims c. 8m E-W; c. 6.2m N-S) defined by slot-trenches (Wth 0.3-0.5m; D 01-0.3m) that are more truncated at the S edge but which have some postholes within them at the NW and SE angles. There is an entrance (Wth 0.7m) towards the S end of the E side, with a shallow pit (diam. 0.92m; D 0.08m) and a posthole just inside it. The trenches have packing stones, and burnt bone, sherds of a carinated bowl and chert debitage were recovered from them as well as a laurel leaf javelin head of chert that was retrieved from the W trench. Oak with low levels of ash, hazel and other trees were identified in the fills of the trenches as well as carbonized grains of emmer wheat. Samples from the slot-trenches returned C14 dates of 3709-3639 cal. BC (UBA 1249) from the N trench and 3768-3652 cal. BC (UBA 1250) from the E trench. At the centre of the floor was a large central hollow (diam. 1-1.08m; D 0.16m) that was lined with stones at the base to act as a post-pad, and Neolithic pottery together with the tip of an arrowhead and fragments of burnt bone, hazelnut shells and cereal grains were recovered from it. A hearth (dims 0.96m x 0.9m; D 0.27m) was just to the N and produced sherds of a carinated bowl as well as charred grains and flint debitage. A sample of hazelnut shell from the hearth yielded a C14 date of 3705-3539 cal. BC (UBA 12051). There were two postholes in the interior but the one just S of the pad-stone pit would have provided most support for the roof, and a short N-S channel (L 0.82m; Wth 0.14m) just E of the hearth is the only indication of an internal division. An occupation layer covering the interior produced two sherds of pottery, and seven stakeholes and two postholes were revealed beneath it, but no artefacts or structures can be associated with them. There were two pits (dims 1.12m x 0.86m; E 0.22m; 3m x 1.4m; D 0.23m) and five postholes just W of the house. No artefacts were recovered from them, but a cereal grain from the smaller pit provided a radiocarbon date of 3768-3647 cal. BC (UBA 12047). (Whitty 2010 5-11) See the attached site plan and monument plan from Whitty (2010, figs 6, 7) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 11 March 2022

• ME017-077002 Structure
  Description

  Situated on a slight S-facing slope. Archaeological testing (04E0915) by S. Delaney (2005) at Testing Area 12 of Contract 4 of the M3 motorway identified (excavations.ie 2004:1355) archaeological material that was completely excavated (E003151) in November 2006 by Y. Whitty (2010) as Town Parks 5 when an area of 4782 square metres was opened to record a Neolithic house and structure (excavations.ie 2007:1399). A rectangular structure (ext. dims 6.5m WNW-ESE; 4m NNE-SSW) defined by pairs of postholes at the angles was c. 50m SE of the Neolithic house. Samples from the postholes identified oak almost exclusively. A slot-trench, with a central posthole forms the E wall, and a short gully at the SW posts may be the last remnant of a similar W wall but there is no evidence of N and S walls. The paired posts are on a WNW-ESE alignment, suggesting that the stresses of the structure were in these directions. Most of the posts had decayed in situ, and the postholes produced two sherds of pottery and occasional fragments of calcined animal bone. A sample of hazelnut shell from one of the postholes provided the C14 date 3770-3654 cal. BC (UBA 12048), and oak from another yielded a date of 3698-3637 cal. BC (UBA 12046). Four pits (dims 0.58m x 0.25m; D 0.15m to 3.28m x 0.88m; D 0.26m) and a posthole are within 3-4m of the structure, but only produced one sherd of pottery. (Whitty 11-15) See the attached site plan and monument plan from Whitty (2010, figs 6, 9) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 11 March 2022

• ME017-078 Burnt mound
  Description

  Archaeological testing (04E0915) by S. Delaney (2005) at Testing Area 12 of Contract 4 of the M3 motorway identified (excavations.ie 2004:1355) a burnt mound spread (dims 6m x 4m) that was completely excavated (E003150) in December 2004 by Y. Whitty as Town Parks 4. By this time it was reduced to a small spread (dims 3m x 2.5m; T 0.1m) of broken and burnt stone. No other features or artefacts were recovered. (Whitty 2010, 5-6) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 11 March 2022

• ME017-079 Hearth
  Description

  Situated on a fairly level landscape. Archaeological testing (04E0916) by S. Delaney (2005) at Testing Area 11 of Contract 4 of the M3 motorway identified (excavations.ie 2004:1271) archaeological material that was partially excavated (E003148) in December 2006 and January 2007 by C. Gleeson (2010) as Town Parks 2 when an area of 1300 square metres was opened in two areas, and some hearths and pits were recorded (excavations.ie 2007:1396). In Area B an oval pit (dims 2.9m NW-SE; c. 1.3m NE-SW; D 0.45m) with five fills of variously coloured sandy clays is interpreted as a possible hearth or fire-pit. A sample of young oak charcoal from a basal fill provided a C14 date of 4324-4245 cal. BC (UBA 12114), placing it in the later Mesolithic. This large pit is beside a smaller, shallower hearth (dims 0.65m x 0.35m; D 0.2m) with a basal deposit of orange/yellow sandy clay. The area was cut by numerous NE-SW post-medieval furrows and some large NW-SE post-medieval refuse pits. (Gleeson 2010) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 11 March 2022

• ME017-080 Structure
  Description

  Located on a slight SW-facing slope. Archaeological testing (04E0916) by S. Delaney (2005) at Testing Area 11 of Contract 4 of the M3 motorway identified (excavations.ie 2004:1271) archaeological material that was fully excavated (E003149) in December 2006 and January 2007 by C. Gleeson (2010) as Town Parks 3 when an area of 1800 square metres was opened and a prehistoric structure was recorded in an area dominated by post-medieval features (excavations.ie 2007:1396). This is a rectangular feature (max. dims c. 8m NE-SW; c. 2.4m NW-SE) consisting of two parallel rows of postholes with four on the NW side and three on the SE, although the SE line is missing a post at the SW end and one posthole has two smaller adjacent features. Two postholes, c. 5m to the SE and c. 10m to the E may be related as sherds of Middle Bronze Age coarse pottery were retrieved from three of the postholes and one of the outliers. A fragment of holly charcoal from one of the postholes of the structure returned a C14 date of 1019-906 cal. BC (UBA 12115), placing it in the Late Bronze Age. The area was used for numerous pits (dims 0.44m x 0.4m; D 0.12m to 1.1m x 0.75m; D 0.4m), the largest of which had a fire-reddened base. The only artefact recovered from the pits was burnt fragments of an eighth or ninth century AD medieval antler comb and it is presumed that the pits are of a similar date. Most of the activity was post-medieval in date and included a well just 6m to the N and the foundations for masonry structures at the roadside further NW. (Gleeson 2010, 5-6) See the attached plan from Gleeson (2010, fig. 9) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 11 March 2022

• ME017-081001 Fulacht fia
  Description

  Situated on a fairly level landscape. Archaeological testing (04E0916) by S. Delaney (2005) at Testing Area 11 of Contract 4 of the M3 motorway identified (excavations.ie 2004:1271) archaeological material that was partially excavated (E003147) in January 2007 by G. McLoughlin (2010) as Town Parks 1 when an area of 1800 square metres was opened and two fulachta fia were recorded (excavations.ie 2007:1395), but both features survive partially outside the excavated area to the SW. Mound B is a large D-shaped mound of loose black sandy silt with heat-shattered stones (dims 11m NW-SE; 10m plus NE-SW; T 0.15m) extending off to the SW and only about half the mound was excavated. It overlay a grey silty clay with less broken and burnt stones, and both layers seal a large pit or water-hole (dims 1.7m NW-SE; 1.4m plus NE-SW; D 0.6m) that extends off to the SW. This was filled with a single deposit of charcoal-rich soil with heat-affected stones. A sample of Pomoideae charcoal from the water-hole provided a C14 date of 1005-855 cal. BC (UBA 11081). Two small pits (diam. 0.57m; D 0.34m: 0.85m; D 0.08m) with similar fills including heat-affected stones were cut in the subsoil, but no artefacts were recorded anywhere. The top of the mound was cut by NNE-SSW furrows. The fulacht fia (ME017-081002-) is c. 30m to the SE and although this monument has no identifiable trough it can be regarded as a fulacht fia, half of which survives outside the road corridor. (McLoughlin 2010, 6-9) See the attached site plan from McLoughlin (2010, fig. 5) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 11 March 2022

• ME017-081002 Fulacht fia
  Description

  Situated on a fairly level landscape. Archaeological testing (04E0916) by S. Delaney (2005) at Testing Area 11 of Contract 4 of the M3 motorway identified (excavations.ie 2004:1271) archaeological material that was partially excavated (E003147) in January 2007 by G. McLoughlin (2010) as Town Parks 1 when an area of 1800 square metres was opened and two fulachta fia were recorded (excavations.ie 2007:1395), but both features survive partially outside the excavated area to the SW. Mound A consisted of a large spread of broken and burnt stones (dims 17m x 15m; T 0.16m) that extended outside the excavated area to the SW. The mound is adjacent to a large pit or water-hole (dims 1.8m plus x 1.8m plus; D 1.12m) also extending off to the SW. A rectangular trough (dims 1.9m x 1.25m; D 0.2m) with a rounded base that was filled with a grey/black silty sand and heat-affected stones was c. 3m N of the mound. A sample of hazel charcoal from its fill provided a C14 date of 2197-2034 cal. BC (UBA 11080). A smaller rectangular trough (dims 1.12m x 0.87m; D 0.31m) had a similar fill and was located at the N edge of the mound. Its E edge was truncated by a NNE-SSW post-medieval field drain (Wth 1.15m; D 0.35m). A second fulacht fia (ME017-081001-) is c. 30m to the NW. (McLoughlin 2010, 5-6) See the attached site plan from McLoughlin (2010, fig. 5) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 11 March 2022

Architectural heritage

• Kenlis Lodge, house, 1860–1900 · Regional interest
  Description

  Detached house, five-bay single-storey to front, two-storey to rear, built c.1880, with gabled entrance breakfront. Pitched slate roof with angled chimneystacks and carved timber bargeboard. Roughcast rendered walls. Timber casement and sash windows. Single- and two-storey stone outbuildings to site. Cast-iron railings on plinths with octagonal limestone gates piers and pair of cast-iron gates.

• Kells Courthouse, court house, 1800–1805 · Regional interest
  Description

  Detached three-bay (six-bay deep) two-storey pedimented courthouse, designed 1802, on a H-shaped plan; three-bay two-storey rear (east) elevation. Reconstructed, 1948, producing present composition. Adapted to alternative use, 1999. Pitched (gable-fronted) slate roof on a H-shaped plan with ridge tiles, margined tooled limestone ashlar chimney stacks on margined tooled limestone ashlar bases having "Cavetto" stringcourses below capping supporting terracotta octagonal pots, and cast-iron rainwater goods on cut-limestone eaves retaining cast-iron octagonal or ogee hoppers and downpipes. Margined tooled limestone ashlar wall to front (west) elevation on benchmark-inscribed margined tooled limestone ashlar chamfered plinth with "Cavetto"-detailed pediment on blind frieze; repointed coursed rubble stone walls (remainder) on margined tooled cut-limestone chamfered plinth with hammered limestone flush quoins to corners. Round-headed central door opening in round-headed recess approached by flight of three cut-limestone steps with margined tooled limestone ashlar voussoirs centred on cut-limestone fluted keystone framing timber panelled double doors having overlight. Round-headed flanking window openings in round-headed recesses with cut-limestone sills, and margined tooled limestone ashlar voussoirs centred on cut-limestone fluted keystones framing twenty-four-over-twenty-four timber sash windows having overlights. Square-headed window openings (first floor) with thumbnail beaded cut-limestone sill course, and margined tooled cut-limestone keystones framing twenty-four-over-twenty-four timber sash windows. Square-headed window openings (side elevations) with cut-limestone sills, and margined tooled cut-limestone block-and-start surrounds framing twenty-four-over-twenty-four timber sash windows. Round-headed blind window openings (first floor) with cut-limestone sills, and hammered limestone block-and-start surrounds framing coursed rubble stone infill. Round-headed central door opening to rear (east) elevation with two cut-limestone steps, and cut-limestone surround centred on keystone framing timber panelled door having overlight. Round-headed flanking window openings with cut-limestone sills, and hammered limestone block-and-start surrounds framing twenty-four-over-twenty-four timber sash windows having overlights. Square-headed window openings (first floor) with margined tooled cut-limestone sill course, and hammered limestone block-and-start surrounds framing twenty-four-over-twenty-four timber sash windows. Interior including central courtroom with timber panelled doors centred on elliptical-headed niche, and picture railing below beamed ceiling. Set in landscaped grounds on a wedge-shaped site.

• Saint John's Cemetery, graveyard/cemetery, 1720–1740 · Regional interest
  Description

  Church of Ireland graveyard, with eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth-century grave markers. Remains of late medieval grave slab depicting abbess with wimple and tau stick to site. Bounded by a limestone rubble wall and accessed through a segmental-arched archway. Carved stone plaque reading L. O'Connor to archway.

• House, 1760–1800 · Regional interest
  Description

  End-of-terrace three-bay two-storey house, built c.1780. Pitched slate roof with rendered chimneystacks. Roughcast rendered walls with tooled stone quoins. Rendered architraves with timber sash windows. Pedimented stone doorcase with lugged surround and original decorative fanlight, approached by flight of stone steps with cast-iron bootscraper.

• House, 1760–1800 · Regional interest
  Description

  Terraced three-bay two-storey house, built c.1780. Pitched slate roof with rendered chimneystacks. Rendered walls with rendered quoins. Rendered architrave window surrounds with stone sills. Pedimented stone doorcase with lugged surround and original decorative fanlight.

• Headfort Lodge, house, 1760–1800 · Regional interest
  Description

  Terraced three-bay two-storey house, built c.1780, with attic storey addition. Pitched slate roof with ridge cresting and rendered chimneystacks. Rendered walls with rendered quoins. Rendered architrave window surrounds with stone sills. Gabled attic windows. Pedimented stone doorcase with lugged surround.

• House, 1760–1800 · Regional interest
  Description

  End-of-terrace five-bay two-storey house, built c.1780, with flanking bays. Pitched slate roof with rendered chimneystacks. Rendered walls and quoins. Rendered architraves and stone sills. Pedimented stone doorcase with Tuscan columns, approached by flight of stone steps to door with cast-iron bootscrapers. Carriage arches with tooled stone voussoirs set in flanking bays.

• Kells Town Hall, bank/financial institution, 1850–1855 · Regional interest
  Description

  Detached five-bay three-storey former bank, built 1853, with projecting end bays, and flanked by single-storey carriage-arch bays. Now in use as a town hall. Roof hidden behind parapet with rendered chimneystacks. Channelled rock-faced limestone ground floor and rendered upper floors with string courses. Round-headed blind arches with inset window openings to ground floor. Square-headed window openings to upper floors, set in recessed blind arches to projecting bays. Two square-headed door openings to ground floor with stone surrounds and console brackets supporting cornices. Stone outbuildings with pitched slate roofs to rear.

• House, 1760–1800 · Regional interest
  Description

  End-of-terrace five-bay two-storey house, built c.1780. Pitched slate roof with rendered chimneystack. Rendered walls with string course at sill level first floor. Square-headed window openings with stone sills. Tooled limestone round-headed door opening with lugged doorcase, approached by stone steps with a wrought-iron bootscraper.

• House, 1820–1840 · Regional interest
  Description

  Detached five-bay three-storey house, built c.1830, with an early twentieth-century shopfront to ground floor. Pitched slate roof with rendered chimneystacks. Rendered walls with channelled quoins. Square-headed door opening with petal overlight. Early twentieth-century shopfront with panelled pilasters supporting fascia and cornice, having recessed display windows with cast-iron colonnettes. Terrazzo to porch. Modern office front to west.

• Bank of Ireland, bank/financial institution, 1870–1910 · Regional interest
  Description

  Detached four-bay three-storey bank, built c.1890, flanked by single-storey screen walls. Hipped roof hidden behind parapet with rendered chimneystacks. Red brick façade to upper floors, with timber sash windows and stone sills, set in segmental-arched openings. Rendered façade to ground floor with string course and cornice. Engaged colonnettes having foliated capitals flanking ground floor openings.

• House, 1770–1810 · Regional interest
  Description

  Semi-detached three-bay two-storey over basement house, built c.1790. Pitched tile roof with rendered chimneystacks. Rendered walls with render quoins. Timber sash windows with moulded surrounds and stone sills. Round-arched door opening with flanking Ionic columns, petal fanlight and timber panelled door, approached by stone steps. Wrought-iron railings on a limestone plinth wall to basement area. Built as a pair with the adjoining house.

• House, 1770–1810 · Regional interest
  Description

  Semi-detached three-bay two-storey over basement house, built c.1790. Pitched tile roof with rendered chimneystacks. Rendered walls with render quoins. Timber sash windows with moulded surrounds and stone sills. Round-arched door opening with flanking Ionic columns, petal fanlight and timber panelled door, approached by stone steps. Wrought-iron railings on a limestone plinth wall to basement area. Built as a pair with the adjoining house.

• Fitzsimons Bakery, bakery, 1920–1940 · Regional interest
  Description

  Terraced eight-bay two-storey former bakery, built c.1930, now disused. Comprising of five recessed bays, flanked by single-bays, with four-bays over integral carriage arch to the west. Flat roof. Rendered walls with lettering to upper level and having incised horizontal bands to plinth course. Steel windows, set in vertical bands with reeded panels between floors. Windows boarded to ground floor, having cast-iron chevron patterned sill guards.

• House, 1880–1920 · Regional interest
  Description

  Semi-detached three-bay three-storey house, built c.1900, with timber shopfront to ground floor. Pitched tile roof with rendered chimneystacks. Rendered walls and quoins. Rendered architraves to timber sash windows. Rendered architraves to timber panelled doors and overlights. Timber shopfront fixed window and pair of timber panelled doors, flanked by pilasters with carved console brackets, supporting timber fascia with dentil cornice.

• Convent of Mercy, school, 1835–1845 · Regional interest
  Description

  Pair of detached gable-fronted three-bay two-storey schools, built 1840, now also in use as convent. Linked by screen wall with central pedimented carriage arch, with flanking carriage arches. Pitched roofs. Rendered walls with stone quoins and render plaques. Square-headed window openings with stone sills and some timber sash windows. Square-headed doorcases with console brackets supporting canopies. Limestone gate piers and cast-iron railings and gates to site.

• Convent of Mercy, house, 1790–1810 · Regional interest
  Description

  Detached three-bay two-storey house, built c.1800, with attic accommodation. Pitched tile roof with rendered chimneystacks. Rendered walls. Timber sash windows with stone sills. Segmental-arched door opening with stone doorcase, spoked fanlight and timber panelled door. Carriage arch to the east with tooled stone voussoirs and wrought-iron gates. Cast-iron gates, piers and railings to site.

• Presbytery/parochial/curate's house, 1880–1900 · Regional interest
  Description

  Detached three-bay three-storey parochial house, built c.1890, with central flat-roofed porch. Hipped tile roof with rendered chimneystacks and eaves dentils. Rendered walls with string courses and channelled quoins. Channelled render to porch. Decorative render surrounds to timber sash windows. Limestone piers and cast-iron railings to site. Modern single-storey extension to west.

• Convent of Mercy, church/chapel, 1855–1860 · Regional interest
  Description

  Detached chapel, built in 1858, with three-bay nave having sacristy and chancel to gables. Pitched slate roof. Rubble stone walls with ashlar limestone dressings to pointed arch openings. Porch addition to chancel. Former Presbyterian church, rebuilt on this site in 1943, with five-bay side elevations to nave and single-bay chancel. Rock-faced squared limestone with tooled limestone surrounds to cast-iron diamond paned windows. Gabled entrance porch with a pointed arch door opening.

• Saint Colmcille's Catholic Church, church/chapel, 1955–1960 · Regional interest
  Description

  Detached gable-fronted church, built 1958, with five-stage bell tower to the north-west. Rock-faced squared limestone to entrance façade with buttresses and string course. Three entrances with timber panelled doors having concrete canopy and vertical stained glass windows above to entrance elevation. Roughcast rendered walls to tower with rendered platbands and rock-faced limestone base.

• Monument, 1860–1900 · Regional interest
  Description

  Freestanding memorial, erected c.1880, comprising of Celtic cross, set on stone pedestal with carved panels and basins on north and south faces. Carving includes Celtic interlacing strapwork, rope mouldings and flower motifs. Low relief crown carving to east face. Inscription on west face.

• Office, 1870–1875 · Regional interest
  Description

  Detached three-bay single-storey former rent office, built 1872, with central projecting porch. Now in use as a private dwelling. Hipped patterned slate roof with brick chimneystacks, finials and ridge cresting. Red brick walls with limestone string course having chevron motif, vitrified brick string courses and yellow brick eaves course. Round-arched openings with ashlar limestone panels above. Timber sash windows and timber panelled door.

• Eureka, house, 1875–1885 · Regional interest
  Description

  Detached three-bay two-storey former house, built c.1880, with Tuscan portico, now in use as school offices. Canted bay window to the south-east gable. Hipped slate roof with rendered chimneystacks. Roughcast rendered walls with quoins, string courses and eaves platbands. Segmental-arched window openings with timber sash windows, rendered lugged-and-kneed surrounds and keystones. Segmental-arched door opening with timber panelled door, plain fanlight and sidelights. Four-bay extension to east.

• Office, 1880–1920 · Regional interest
  Description

  Terraced four-bay two-storey commercial building, built c.1900. Pitched slate roof hidden behind parapet with rendered chimneystacks. Rendered walls with string course at sill level to first floor, and with channelled door surround to ground floor. Rendered architraves to window openings on first floor. Pair of timber panelled doors with cast-iron overlights to terminating bays.

• House, 1860–1880 · Regional interest
  Description

  Terraced four-bay two-storey former house, c.1870, with integral carriage arch, now disused. Pitched slate roof with rendered chimneystack. Rendered architraves to timber sash windows and stone sills. Rendered architrave to timber panelled door and overlight. Channelled render to dressings to integral carriage arch.

• The Stone House, house, 1860–1880 · Regional interest
  Description

  End-of-terrace three-bay two-storey house, built c.1870, with integral carriage-arch. Pitched tile roof with red brick chimneystack. Exposed random rubble stone walls. Red brick surrounds and stone sills to timber sash window. Red brick dressing to door and carriage-arch openings. Outbuilding with corrugated-iron roof to rear.

• Maudlin House, house, 1750–1790 · Regional interest
  Description

  Detached five-bay two-storey house, built c.1770. Pitched tile roof with rendered chimneystacks. Roughcast rendered walls with tooled stone quoins and string course. Stone block-and-start surrounds and stone sills to timber sash windows. Round-arched stone doorcase with reeded pilasters approached by stone steps. Outbuildings to the rear.

• House, 1820–1860 · Regional interest
  Description

  End-of-terrace five-bay two-storey house, built c.1840. Pitched slate roof with rendered chimneystacks. Roughcast rendered walls with render plat band. Render surrounds and stone sills and timber sash windows. Segmental-arched door opening with carved console brackets, keystone, petal fanlight and timber panelled door. Wing attached to the south. Range of outbuildings to the rear.

• House, 1940–1960 · Regional interest
  Description

  Pair of semi-detached four-bay two-storey houses, built c.1950, with pair of three-bay single-storey projections to front elevation, having recessed corner porches. Hipped slate roof with red brick chimneystacks. Roughcast rendered walls, with rendered plat bands. Red brick to projecting bays with rock faced limestone to the porches. Square-headed window openings with red brick surrounds, and some timber sash windows. Concrete balustrades and piers to site.

• House, 1850–1870 · Regional interest
  Description

  End-of-terrace three-bay two-storey house, built c.1860. Pitched slate roof with red brick chimneystacks. Rendered walls. Timber sash windows with stone sills. Rendered shopfront with pilasters supporting an entablature retaining original overlight.

• House, 1880–1900 · Regional interest
  Description

  Terraced three-bay three-storey house, built c.1890. Pitched slate roof with rendered chimneystacks. Rendered walls with render quoins. Decorative rendered surrounds and stone sills to timber sash windows. Replacement timber shopfront to ground floor.

• House, 1880–1900 · Regional interest
  Description

  End-of-terrace four-bay two-storey former house, built c.1890, now in use as two shops. Pitched slate roof. Rendered walls with render quoins. Rendered surrounds and continuous sill course to timber sash windows. Two timber shopfronts with carved console brackets, pilasters and fascias to ground floor.

• Lisieux, house, 1730–1770 · Regional interest
  Description

  Terraced three-bay three-storey house, built c.1750, with façade dating to c.1890. Pitched slate roof with rendered chimneystacks. Red brick façade with red and yellow brick eaves cornice. Square-headed and segmental-arched window openings with timber sash windows, stone sills and yellow brick dressings. Pair of round-headed door openings with moulded and yellow brick dressings. Timber panelled door with carved console brackets, cornice and plain glass fanlight. Modern shopfront to ground floor.

• House, 1730–1770 · Regional interest
  Description

  Terraced three-bay three-storey house built c.1750, with façade dating to 1870. Pitched roof with rendered chimneystacks. Rendered walls. Render architraves and stone sills with some timber sash windows. Round-arched render doorcase with scallop shell decoration, plain glass fanlight and timber panelled door flanked by fluted columns supporting a cornice.

• House, 1760–1800 · Regional interest
  Description

  Terraced five-bay two-storey former house, built c.1780, now in use as a shop. Pitched tile roof. Rendered walls with decorative render panels and channelling. Render architraves to timber sash windows. Carved stone pedimented doorcase with engaged columns, spoked fanlight and timber panelled door. Modern shopfront to ground floor.

• House, 1870–1890 · Regional interest
  Description

  Terraced three-bay two-storey house with attic accommodation, built c.1880, now also in use as shop. Pitched tile roof and rendered walls. Early twentieth-century shopfront to ground floor with recessed door, mosaic inlaid threshold, flanked by display windows with colonnettes and carved panels in the triangular sections. Timber panelled door to east with plain overlight.

• Duke Brothers, house, 1780–1800 · Regional interest
  Description

  End-of-terrace five-bay three-storey house, built c.1790, now disused and with vacant shop. Pitched tile roof with rendered chimneystacks. Rendered walls with render quoins and eaves course. Rendered architraves and stone sills to timber sash windows. Round-arched stone door doorcase with Tuscan columns, original decorative fanlight, timber panelled door and cast-iron bootscraper. Nineteenth-century shopfront to the west of main entrance door, comprising of recessed door with carved timber gate, flanked by display windows with console brackets having timber fascia above. Modern shop window to east.

• House, 1830–1870 · Regional interest
  Description

  Terraced three-bay two-storey house, built c.1850, with disused shopfront. Pitched tile roof with rendered chimneystacks. Rendered walls with render quoins. Stone surrounds and sills to window openings, with cast-iron window guard to ground floor. Stone segmental-arched doorcase, with original teardrop fanlight, pilasters, cornice and timber panelled door. Timber shopfront comprising of timber panelled door flanked pilasters with carved brackets, having fixed display windows, terminated by fluted columns, with fascia above. Built as a pair with the house to the west.

• House, 1830–1870 · Regional interest
  Description

  Terraced three-bay two-storey house, built c.1850. Pitched tile roof with stone chimneystacks. Rendered walls with render quoins. Stone surrounds, sills and label moulding to openings, with cast-iron window guards to ground floor. Stone segmental-arched doorcase, with original teardrop fanlight, pilasters, cornice and timber panelled door. Built as a pair with the adjoining house to the east.

• House, 1770–1790 · Regional interest
  Description

  Terraced three-bay two-storey house, built c.1780, with integral carriage arch. Pitched slate roof with rendered chimneystack. Rendered walls. Square-headed window openings with stone sills. Stone block-and-start doorcase with cornice and spoked fanlight. Tooled stone voussoirs to carriage arch. Built as a pair with adjoining house to the west.

• House, 1770–1790 · Regional interest
  Description

  Terraced two-bay two-storey house, built c.1780. Pitched slate roof with rendered chimneystack. Rendered walls with render quoins. Square-headed window openings with stone sills. Stone block-and-start doorcase with cornice and spoked fanlight. Built as a pair with adjoining house to the east

• Saint Columba's Church (Kells), gates/railings/walls, 1780–1785 · Regional interest
  Description

  Vehicular and pedestrian gates and piers, built 1783, set in curved rubble stone walls. Comprising of channelled ashlar limestone piers with carved caps and ball finials having Greek key motif, flanking pair of wrought-iron gates. Pair of wrought-iron pedestrian gates flanking main entrance, with ashlar limestone piers. Set in curved rubble stone walls, which are terminated by channelled limestone piers with carved caps.

• Saint Columba's Church (Kells), cobbles/flags/paving/kerbing, 1760–1800 · Regional interest
  Description

  Limestone kerbstones, laid c.1780.

• Post box, 1900–1910 · Regional interest
  Description

  Cast-iron post box, c.1905, with E.R. VII insignia and crown motif.

• Saint Columba's Church (Kells), sexton's house, 1880–1900 · Regional interest
  Description

  Detached three-bay two-storey former sexton's house, built c.1890, with central gabled porch, now in use as private dwelling. Pitched slate roof with red brick chimneystacks, ridge cresting and carved timber bargeboards. Roughcast rendered walls with stone quoins. Timber casement windows to front elevation, timber sash windows to rear. Timber battened door with plain overlight.

• Saint Columba's Church (Kells), church/chapel, 1775–1780 · Regional interest
  Description

  Detached gable-fronted church, built in 1778, comprising of four-bay nave with single-bay chancel to the east, and projecting entrance bays to north and south elevations. Pitched slate roof. Roughcast rendered and squared limestone walls. Three-bay flat-roofed projecting entrance block with chamfered corners, comprising of central breakfront with pointed arch door opening, flanked by single-bays with sash lancet windows having hood mouldings above. Triple light lancet window flanked by single lancets to chancel. Graveyard and round tower to site.

• The Medical Hall, house, 1850–1890 · Regional interest
  Description

  End-of-terrace three-bay two-storey house built c.1870. Hipped slate roof with rendered chimneystacks. Exposed rubble limestone walls. Red brick surrounds and stone sills to window openings. Red brick surround to door opening. Shopfront to the east elevation, comprising of recessed door, flanked by display windows with carved colonettes. Etched glazed panels to door and windows, with mosaic threshold to recessed entrance.

• Kells Market Yard, gates/railings/walls, 1770–1830 · Regional interest
  Description

  Carriage arch opening and pedestrian opening set in rubble limestone screen wall, built c.1800, with limestone coping. Single and pair of wrought-iron gates with limestone wheel guards to vehicular entrance.

• Kells Market Yard, market building, 1790–1810 · Regional interest
  Description

  Detached four-bay single-storey former market building, built c.1800, now in use as private dwellings. Original stone voussoirs of former arcade, now blocked. Rubble stone walls with cast-iron tie-plates. Additional openings inserted.

• Kells Market Yard, market house, 1780–1820 · Regional interest
  Description

  Detached four-bay two-storey former market house, built c.1800, with former arcade to the ground floor, now in use as commercial outbuilding. Pitched slate roof. Coursed rubble limestone walls with cast-iron tie-plates. Dressed stone voussoirs to arcade openings. Dressed limestone flat-arched and stone sills to upper floor windows.

• Carroll, house, 1880–1820 · Regional interest
  Description

  End-of-terrace three-bay two-storey house and shop, built c.1900, with shopfronts to ground floor. Parapet hides roof with red brick chimneystacks. Rendered walls. Square-headed window openings with stone sills. Central pedimented display window to ground floor with pilasters and console brackets, flanked by pair of shopfronts. Shopfronts comprise of panelled timber doors with overlights and display windows, flanked by pilasters with console brackets, having porcelain lettering to fascias. Single-bay two-storey extension to the west. Some interior shop features remain.

• The Premier House, house, 1870–1910 · Regional interest
  Description

  End-of-terrace six-bay two-storey house, built c.1890, with shop to ground floor. Pitched tile roof with rendered chimneystacks. Rendered walls. Timber sash windows with stone sills. Moulded segmental-arched door opening with fluted pilasters, stained glass sidelights and fanlight, and replacement timber panelled door. Pair of shopfronts with recessed central doors flanked by fixed display windows with mosaics to thresholds. Timber colonnettes with carved capitals, to display windows. Two-bay three-storey extension to east.

• House, 1790–1810 · Regional interest
  Description

  End-of-terrace four-bay two-storey house over part basement, built c.1800, now also in use as office and shops. Pitched tile roof with rendered chimneystacks. Rendered walls. Render surrounds and stone sills to window openings. Round-arched stone doorcase with original fanlight, approached by steps from north and south with wrought-iron railing. Modern shopfronts to north and south.

• House, 1860–1900 · Regional interest
  Description

  Pair of semi-detached two-bay two-storey former houses, built c.1880, with central integral carriage arch flanked by entrance bays, now in use as offices. Pitched slate roof with rendered chimneystack. Exposed squared walls with dressed limestone quoins. Dressed limestone and sills to timber sash windows. Dressed limestone round-headed door openings and carriage arch.

• House, 1810–1850 · Regional interest
  Description

  Terraced four-bay two-storey house, built c.1830, with integral carriage arch. Pitched slate roof with rendered chimneystacks. Rendered walls. Timber sash windows with stone sills. Round-arched door opening with spoked fanlight and timber panelled door. Pair of timber battened doors to integral carriage arch.

• A. Crosby, house, 1860–1880 · Regional interest
  Description

  End-of-terrace three-bay two-storey house, built c.1870, also in use as shop. Pitched tile roof with rendered chimneystacks. Rendered walls. Timber sash windows with stone sills. Timber panelled door with overlight. Shopfront comprising of panelled pilasters with console brackets flanking door and display windows, having fascia with lettering above.

• Hotel, 1900–1940 · Regional interest
  Description

  Terraced three-bay two-storey former hotel, built c.1920, with integral carriage arch, now in use as house. Pitched slate roof with rendered chimneystacks. Rendered walls. Timber casement windows with stone sills. Timber panelled door and pair of glazed timber doors with overlights. Pair of timber battened doors to the carriage arch.

• Kells Post Office, post office, 1900–1910 · Regional interest
  Description

  End-of-terrace three-bay two-storey post office, built c.1905, with central breakfront. Pitched slate roof with red brick chimneystacks, hidden by ashlar limestone parapet. Red brick walls with limestone ashlar plinth, string courses, cornice and eaves band. Timber sash and casement windows with stone sills, and red brick and limestone flat arches. Tripartite window to ground floor with ashlar limestone surrounds. Stone steps leading to mosaic inlaid threshold with monogram of King Edward VII.

• House, 1850–1870 · Regional interest
  Description

  End-of-terrace three-bay two-storey house, built c.1860. Pitched tile roof with rendered chimneystacks. Rendered walls to ground floor with string course and roughcast rendered first floor, and having render plat bands. Timber sash windows with stone sills. Disused display window with flanking pilasters having timber fascia above.

• Kells Presbyterian Church, manse, 1880–1900 · Regional interest
  Description

  Detached three-bay two-storey former manse, built c.1890, with return, now in use as a private house. Pitched tile roof with modern chimneystacks. Roughcast rendered walls with stone quoins. Timber sash windows and stone sills. Render architraves to ground floor openings.

• Kells Presbyterian Church, church/chapel, 1860–1880 · Regional interest
  Description

  Detached gable-fronted Gothic Revival style church, built c.1870, with four-bay side elevations to the nave. Pitched slate roof. Rock-faced snecked masonry to entrance gable with corner buttresses and ashlar limestone dressings. Rose window with hood moulding over carved limestone pointed arch doorcase. Pair of timber battened doors with strap hinges, flanked by carved colonnettes, with trefoil inset in ashlar limestone panel above. Rubble stone walls with lancet windows having yellow brick dressings to nave. Cast-iron piers and gates set in cast-iron railings with limestone plinths to site.

• Bella Vista, house, 1880–1900 · Regional interest
  Description

  Detached two-bay two-storey house and veterinary clinic, built c.1890, with gabled dormer windows and central porch. Pitched slate roof with red brick chimneystacks and carved timber bargeboards. Rendered walls, with recessed panel over central porch. Timber sash windows with stone sills. Carved timber piers and balustrades to porch.

• Chantelle and Alanna, house, 1910–1930 · Regional interest
  Description

  Pair of semi-detached three-bay two-storey houses, built c.1920, with canted bay windows and gabled porches to the ground floor. Hipped slate roof with red brick chimneystacks and eaves dentils. Rendered walls. Timber pilasters with carved capitals between openings of canted bay window, retaining some original timber casement windows. Some cast-iron railings and gate to site.

• Post box, 1881–1901 · Regional interest
  Description

  Wall-mounted cast-iron "wall box" post box, extant 1954, with "VR [Victoria Regina]" royal cipher. Set in repointed snecked limestone wall.

• Kells Railway Station, railway station, 1850–1855 · Regional interest
  Description

  Detached seven-bay single-storey railway station, built 1852; opened 1853, on a H-shaped plan with single-bay single-storey pedimented projecting end bays; seven-bay single-storey platform (south) elevation with single-bay single-storey pedimented projecting end bays. Occupied, 1901; 1911. Closed, 1958. Now disused. Hipped slate roof on a H-shaped with pitched (gabled) slate roofs (end bays), clay or terracotta ridge tiles, multi-toned brick Flemish bond chimney stacks having cut-limestone stringcourses below chamfered capping supporting terracotta or yellow terracotta octagonal pots, and cast-iron rainwater goods on lead-covered cut-limestone eaves with replacement uPVC downpipes. Part repointed multi-toned brick Flemish bond walls on dragged cut-limestone plinth with drag edged dragged cut-limestone channelled pilasters to corners (end bays) supporting cut-limestone open bed pediments. Square-headed central door opening (north) with red brick voussoirs framing timber panelled double doors having overlights. Square-headed central door opening (south) behind remains of canopy on colonnette pillars with red brick voussoirs framing cement rendered infill. Square-headed flanking window openings with drag edged dragged cut-limestone sills, and multi-toned brick voussoirs framing replacement uPVC casement windows replacing six-over-six timber sash windows. Round-headed window openings in round-headed recesses (end bays) with drag edged dragged cut-limestone sills, and multi-toned brick header bond radiating voussoirs framing replacement uPVC casement windows retaining some boarded-up six-over-six timber sash windows having fanlights. Set in unkempt grounds.

• House, 1920–1940 · Regional interest
  Description

  Detached three-bay two-storey house, built c.1930, with gabled central porch. Hipped tile roof with red brick chimneystacks. Roughcast rendered walls. Timber sash windows with stone sills. Timber glazed door, with overlight and sidelights approached by flight of stone step. Garage to east. Cast-iron railings and gate to the site.

• House, 1920–1940 · Regional interest
  Description

  Pair of semi-detached two-bay two-storey houses, built c.1930 with pedimented canted bay windows. Hipped pantile roof with red brick chimneystacks. Red brick walls. Timber sash windows with some stone sills. Segmental-arched porch opening with moulded brick to voussoirs, having recessed glazed timber doors with side and top lights. Cast-iron railings and gates to site.

• Railway House, hotel, 1860–1880 · Regional interest
  Description

  Detached multiple-bay two-storey former railway hotel, built c.1870, now in use as house and public house. Comprising of chamfered corner flanked by two- and three-bay two-storey blocks, with nine-bay single-storey block to the north. Three-bay two-storey addition to the south-west. Pitched slate roofs with red brick chimneystacks, ridge cresting and finials. Rendered walls with render quoins and terracotta corbel and decorative tile eaves course. Timber sash windows with render surrounds and stone sills. Render surrounds to door openings.

• Westfield Cottage, house, 1880–1900 · Regional interest
  Description

  Detached three-bay single-storey house, built c.1890. Hipped slate roof with red brick chimneystack. Roughcast rendered walls. Timber casement and sash windows. Round-arched door opening with fanlight. Earlier house attached to the rear, with pitched slate roofs and timber sash windows. Pair of octagonal stone gate piers set in rubble stone walls to site.

• Kells Technical School, school, 1925–1935 · Regional interest
  Description

  Detached nine-bay two-storey former technical school, built c.1930, with three bay central pedimented breakfront. Now in use as vocational school. Hipped tile roof. Rendered walls with pilasters flanking breakfront openings, with continuous sills, string course and cornice. Steel casement windows with stone sills. Pair of timber panelled doors with overlight. Rendered gate piers and plinths with wrought-iron railings and gate.

• Saint Joseph's, house, 1885–1890 · Regional interest
  Description

  Detached three-bay two-storey former school, built in 1888, with flanking single-storey screen walls. Now in use as curate's house. Hipped tile roof with red brick chimneystacks. Red brick walls with angled brick eaves course. Red brick dentils and limestone sills to window openings. Round-arched door opening with brick dentils and roll moulded surround. Carved timber door surround, with carved pilasters, consoles, cornice and fanlight surround. Red brick screen walls, with limestone plinths, moulded brick eaves course, and yellow and vitrified brick string courses. Single-storey wing set behind screen wall to the north. Vehicular entrance with cast and wrought-iron arch to south screen wall. Former outbuilding to the rear. Wrought-iron railings and gates to site.

• Brentwood and Bellevue, house, 1920–1940 · Regional interest
  Description

  Pair of semi-detached three-bay two-storey houses, built c.1930 with canted bay windows to ground floor. Hipped slate roof with red brick chimneystacks and ridge cresting. Red brick walls. Timber pilaster with carved capitals to the bay windows. Pilasters and cornices to the entrance doors, with side and top lights. Cast-iron railings and gates to site.

• House, 1880–1900 · Regional interest
  Description

  Terraced three-bay two-storey house, built c.1890, now also in use as office. Pitched slate roof with ridge cresting and red brick chimneystacks. Red brick walls. Timber sash windows with yellow brick dressings and stone sills. Replacement timber shopfront to ground floor.

• House, 1880–1900 · Regional interest
  Description

  Terraced four-bay two-storey house, built c.1890. Pitched slate roof with red brick chimneystacks. Red brick walls with limestone plinth and yellow brick cornice and quoins. Timber sash windows with stone sills and yellow brick dressings. Square-headed door opening to west with timber and glazed panelled door. Timber shopfront comprising of timber pilaster with carved console brackets flanking pair of timber glazed doors and display window, having fascia and cornice above.

• The Bridewell, prison/jail, 1830–1840 · Regional interest
  Description

  Detached five-bay two-storey former bridewell, built in 1837, with central pedimented breakfront, with flanking single-storey bay to the east and with carriage arch to the west. Now in use as a barracks. Hipped slate roof with rendered chimneystacks. Squared limestone walls with tooled limestone quoins. Segmental-arched window openings with timber sash windows, ashlar surrounds and stone sills. Diocletian window and stone doorcase with tapering pilaster and entablature to breakfront. Stone plinth walls to site.

• Workshop, 1930–1950 · Regional interest
  Description

  Detached stepped gable-fronted five-bay two-storey former garage, built c.1940, now in use as a wholesale outlet. Pitched corrugated-iron roof. Brick walls to ground floor with string course above and rendered walls to first floor. Recessed fascia panels above display windows. Steel casement windows to first floor. Timber glazed windows and doors to ground floor.

• House, 1820–1840 · Regional interest
  Description

  End-of-terrace four-bay three-storey house, built c.1830, with integral carriage arch. Pitched tile roof with rendered chimneystacks. Rendered walls. Timber sash windows with stone sills. Tooled stone voussoirs to carriage arch with timber battened doors. Rendered wall extending to west, with stone outbuilding to rear.

• Saint Columba's Church (Kells), gates/railings/walls, 1780–1820 · Regional interest
  Description

  Pair of square-profile limestone gate piers, with pedestrian gate set in screen wall, built c.1800, having stone caps and wrought-iron gates. Pair of limestone wheel guards to piers.

• Saint Columba's Church (Kells), bell tower/stand, 1780–1785 · Regional interest
  Description

  Octagonal ashlar limestone spire, erected c.1783, with wrought-iron finial. Added to a sixteenth-century belfry.

• House, 1850–1890 · Regional interest
  Description

  End-of-terrace three-bay two-storey house, built c.1870. Pitched slate roof with brick chimneystacks. Rendered walls. Timber sash windows with stone sills. Timber battened door with overlight.

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

About 1 in 10 homes in this area is likely to have high radon levels. Testing a home

Landslides

Susceptibility moderately low, low, low (inferred), on the 1:50,000 map; parts are made ground and water.

Terrain model

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

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.

No address of the register names Townparks with five sales or more. The sales of the area are on the page of Co. Meath.

Name

Townparks

Area

4,861,082 m² (486.11 ha, 1,201.2 acres)

Civil parish

Kells, and its townlands

Barony

Kells Upper

Electoral division

Ceanannas Mór Urban, the unit of the census

Census 2022

Ceanannas M�r Urban electoral division: 2,219 people in 927 households; 47% of households own their home; 19% of homes were built since 2001; 12% of dwellings stood vacant on census night, and 0% were holiday homes.

Neighbouring townlands

Archdeaconry Glebe, Calliaghstown, Commons of Lloyd, Gardenrath, Grangegoddan Glebe, Headfort Demesne, Lackmelch, Maudlin, Mountainpole or Rochfortsland, Newrath Big, Newrath Little, Rockfield, Whitecommons

Placenames

Townparks 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.