Ballynahow

Area

2,264 m² (0.23 ha, 0.56 acres)

Buildings

2 buildings touch it. Their footprint covers 254 m².

Zoning

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

Townland

Ballynahow

Planning applications on this parcel

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

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

Designated sites

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

Recorded monuments around it

This parcel is in the zone of notification of 7 recorded monuments.

• KE052-014001 Church
  Description

  Dunquin Church/An Teampall: There was a parish church here by the end of the 13th century (Cal Docs Ire, V, 297), but in 1615 the vicarage of Dunquin was 'waste voyde' (Royal Visitation), and the church was in ruins by 1756 (Smith, 69). The present remains, situated in the graveyard at Dunquin, are those of a rubble-built, rectangular church which measured 12.2m x 6.1m externally (OSNB Dunquin, 29). Only the N wall, 2.69m in height x .9m thick, and attached sections of the E and W walls are visible. The remainder of the church is reduced to foundations or obscured by the overground tombs which completely fill the interior. A lintelled doorway in the N wall has rubble jambs, rebated internally for a door; the W jamb projects beyond the wall face externally and is returned as a shallow buttress. The W wall, 4.33m in length, preserves the remains of a rectangular window, .68 x 1.38m. The ope had a stepped lintelled head but the ingoings are largely rebuilt. No architectural features are preserved on the surviving section of the E gable and the exterior of the building has been plastered in modern times. Inserted in the wall of the vestibule in the modern church at Dunquin is a stone with a circular depression, .26m in diameter and .15m deep. This may be the font which was visible at the E end of the old church in 1841 (OSNB) or it may have been removed from Ballywiheen church (local information). Apart from the church, the only features of interest in the graveyard are 2 grave-markers in the form of rough stone crosses. In 2010 a graveyard survey carried out by Laurence Dunne recorded the following details: 'Dunquin Church and Graveyard is situated on the westernmost tip of the Dingle Peninsula, indeed the most western point of the landmass of Europe and consequently the most western Christian church and graveyard in Europe. It is 8.5km west from the village of Ventry and 15,25km from Dingle. Two crosses are also recorded in the RMP in the graveyard (KE052-014003-/004-), while a font (KE052-307----) from the medieval church is currently in the modern church of Dunquin that was built around 1857. Possibly the earliest record of the church at Dunquin is recorded in the Papal Taxation of 1302-06 in the Calendar of State Papers relating to Ireland in which it records Church of Donetyn (Dunquin) Value £4, Tenth 8s (O’Sullivan 1931, 45-46, Cuppage). The Regal Visitation Book of 1633 records ‘Vicaradges of Dunquin and Marhin, John Philipps, minister, incumbent’ (Hickson 1872, 30). In 1756 Charles Smith records Dunqueen, vicarial, church in ruins. Patron: William Mullens Esq. Proxy. 5s., (Smith 1756, 38). In 1837 ‘... the ruins of the church still remain in the burial-ground’ (Lewis 1837, 483). The ruined church and graveyard of Dunquin was surveyed by John O’Donovan in 1841 ‘The old church of Dunquin is situated in a valley in the townland of Churchquarter; it was thirty-four feet nine inches long and thirteen feet ten inches broad, and its walls two foot ten inches thick, and built of hard green stone and clay cement. The two gables are destroyed nearly to the very foundations and there is a breach of fifteen feet to the north wall towards the east end, but the remaining part of the wall is standing to the height of seven feet. At the distance of three feet four inches from the east end there is on the south wall a small rectangular window measuring on the inside two feet four inches by one foot six inches, and the same on the outside, but it narrows towards the middle of the wall to four and a half inches. It is rudely formed of hammered stones. The doorway is on the north wall at the distance of eight feet six inches from the west end; it is rectangular at the top and measures on the inside five feet in height and four feet six inches in width and on the outside four feet ten inches by three feet one inch. This church stands in a small graveyard which is still in use’ (O’Donovan 1983, 93-94). A much shorter account of Dunquin is recorded in the OSNB by John O’Donovan in 1841 but interestingly records a Holy water font beside the E gable. This font (KE 052-307) is now in use in the vestibule of the modern church at Dunquin. O’Donovan also states in the OSNB that the church was in the ‘centre of the graveyard that is three chains long and two wide enclosed with a ditch’. He also gives the townland name of Carhoo Church Quarter (OSNB 1841). The medieval ruined church and graveyard of Dunquin is situated on a fairly level platform on gently sloping ground in a narrow glen with an extensive maritime vista of the Blasket Islands, including An Blascaod Mór and Tearaght beyond. The current church, which dates to 1857, is situated immediately beside the old graveyard with a small but ample carpark between. A coherent 11m section of the north elevation survives to full height (2.6m) including part of its stone soffit that extends from the north-west corner for 5m. A short 4m return section of the west gable also survives. Otherwise the limits of the church are completely reduced and the basal courses concealed beneath grass and unmarked lintelled graves. The extant walls are generally constructed with small split sandstones bedded in lime mortar with several areas re-pointed or repaired with cement and are 0.75m in thickness. The north elevation is pierced by a single doorway that is more or less entirely blocked up on the interior by burials. The 0.90m wide doorway is flat lintelled and 1.2m high and is supported by a wide buttress feature on its west side that was no doubt added to support the surviving wall from the outward weight of the much higher interior. On the exterior at the eastern end of the north elevation is a small carved stone of an emerging figure with raised arms-possibly depicting the crucifixion. It is most likely modern. A little over 4m survives of the west gable and is pierced by a single flat lintelled window with stepped ingoings. The window, 0.58m wide x 1.32m high, is eccentrically positioned at the north side of the west gable and indeed looks more like a door than a window. This opening is also filled up on the inside. There are two prominent modern graves within the limits of the church, (182 and 183), as well as numerous unnamed headstones. The burials, the majority of which appear to be grass covered lintelled graves within the church are more or less up to the full height of the surviving 2.6m high walls. A prominent ‘High Cross’ type modern headstone (183) is precariously set alongside a partially collapsed grave within the old church' (Dunne 2010, 2-10). The above description is derived from J. Cuppage, ‘Corca Dhuibhne. Dingle Peninsula archaeological survey. Ballyferriter. Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne’ (1986), no. 982. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. See attached plan and photographs courtesy of Laurence Dunne. Revised by: Caimin O'Brien. Date of revised upload: 30 June 2022

• KE052-014002 Graveyard
  Description

  Dunquin Church/An Teampall: There was a parish church here by the end of the 13th century (Cal Docs Ire, V, 297), but in 1615 the vicarage of Dunquin was 'waste voyde' (Royal Visitation), and the church was in ruins by 1756 (Smith, 69). The present remains, situated in the graveyard (KE052-014002-) at Dunquin, are those of a rubble-built, rectangular church. Apart from the church, the only features of interest in the graveyard are 2 grave-markers in the form of rough stone crosses. In 2010 a graveyard survey carried out by Laurence Dunne recorded the following details: 'Dunquin Church and Graveyard is situated on the westernmost tip of the Dingle Peninsula, indeed the most western point of the landmass of Europe and consequently the most western Christian church and graveyard in Europe. It is 8.5km west from the village of Ventry and 15,25km from Dingle. Two crosses are also recorded in the RMP in the graveyard (KE052-014003-/004-), while a font (KE052-307----) from the medieval church is currently in the modern church of Dunquin that was built around 1857. This small old graveyard is still in use today although a new burial ground was opened in the townland of Ballyickeen 2km away to the south near the sea. Dunquin Graveyard is raised above the laneway to the church that runs alongside its northern limits by 1.5m and circa 2m outside its western end. The graveyard is enclosed by a random rubble drystone wall of local sandstone. The eastern boundary of earth and some stone that separates the burial ground from the carpark between the modern church is completely covered in dense vegetation mostly of fuchsia and other hedging. The southern boundary which has a wide open drain running downslope beside, is similarly covered with dense vegetation. The graveyard along its shorter western limits rises to almost 2m over the exterior ground and is protected by dense vegetation that is largely gone wild and un-managed. There is only pedestrian access only into the graveyard through a modern galvanised gate. The gate hangs between two robust square piers of local rubble sandstone bedded in cement and soft capped with sod. The centre of the graveyard is higher than its outer limits, substantially so along its western (downslope) limits and also its northern limits where the 2.1m high extant section of the medieval church acts today as a revetment to the large number of burials that now fill up its interior practically to full height. The interior of the graveyard is covered in dense high grass and some briars that covers or partially conceals open and partially collapsed unnamed lintelled graves, that extend throughout the interior as well as several small unnamed and partially concealed gravemarkers. The outer peripheral limit of the graveyard surrounding the old church central area is serviced by the pathway and is not easily traversed in places. The majority of the modern graves are dispersed around this outer band of ground. There is only one unnamed tomb in Dunquin Graveyard (160). There are twelve grass covered unnamed lintelled type mounded graves dispersed around the interior of the graveyard. There were twelve modern named headstones associated with eight formal grave settings recorded at Dunquin graveyard. There were thirty-six unnamed headstones (HWN & Appendix 4) in total recorded in the course of this survey. All of the unnamed headstones are simple grave markers of unhewn local sandstone and are disposed around the graveyard. There were four cross slabs recorded in Dunquin in the course of this survey, two of which were recorded in the Dingle Archaeological Survey as ‘...2 grave-markers in the form of rough stone crosses’ (Cuppage 1984, 366). The two stones correspond with crosses 180 and 184 in this survey. A third similar roughly hewn anthropomorphic type cross (44) of local green siltstone was also recorded partially exposed and askew, abutting a lintelled grave in the interior of the graveyard. The fourth cross-slab (30) comprises a small rectangular sandstone situated in the north-western limits of the graveyard, circa 3.5m from cross-slab (180). The gravemarker is lightly incised with an equal armed cross whose arms extend across the full width of the stone' (Dunne 2010, 2-12). The above description is derived from J. Cuppage, ‘Corca Dhuibhne. Dingle Peninsula archaeological survey. Ballyferriter. Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne’ (1986), no. 982. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. See attached plan and photographs courtesy of Laurence Dunne Revised by: Caimin O'Brien. Date of revised upload: 30 June 2022

• KE052-014003 Cross
  Description

  Dunquin Church/An Teampall: There was a parish church here by the end of the 13th century (Cal Docs Ire, V, 297), but in 1615 the vicarage of Dunquin was 'waste voyde' (Royal Visitation), and the church was in ruins by 1756 (Smith, 69). The present remains, situated in the graveyard (KE052-014002-) at Dunquin, are those of a rubble-built, rectangular church. Apart from the church, the only features of interest in the graveyard are 2 grave-markers in the form of rough stone crosses (KE052-014003/004-). In 2010 a graveyard survey carried out by Laurence Dunne recorded the following details about a stone cross No. 180: 'Dunquin Church [KE052-014001-] and Graveyard [KE052-014002-] is situated on the westernmost tip of the Dingle Peninsula, indeed the most western point of the landmass of Europe and consequently the most western Christian church and graveyard in Europe. It is 8.5km west from the village of Ventry and 15.25km from Dingle. There were four cross slabs recorded in Dunquin in the course of this survey, two of which were recorded in the Dingle Archaeological Survey as ‘...2 grave-markers in the form of rough stone crosses’ (Cuppage 1984, 366). The two stones correspond with crosses 180 and 184 in this survey' (Dunne 2010, 12). The above description is derived from J. Cuppage, ‘Corca Dhuibhne. Dingle Peninsula archaeological survey. Ballyferriter. Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne’ (1986), no. 982. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. See attached plan and photograph courtesy of Laurence Dunne. Revised by: Caimin O'Brien. Date of revised upload: 30 June 2022

• KE052-014004 Cross
  Description

  Dunquin Church/An Teampall: There was a parish church here by the end of the 13th century (Cal Docs Ire, V, 297), but in 1615 the vicarage of Dunquin was 'waste voyde' (Royal Visitation), and the church was in ruins by 1756 (Smith, 69). The present remains, situated in the graveyard (KE052-014002-) at Dunquin, are those of a rubble-built, rectangular church. Apart from the church, the only features of interest in the graveyard are 2 grave-markers in the form of rough stone crosses (KE052-014003/004-). In 2010 a graveyard survey carried out by Laurence Dunne recorded the following details about a stone cross No. 184: 'Dunquin Church [KE052-014001-] and Graveyard [KE052-014002-] is situated on the westernmost tip of the Dingle Peninsula, indeed the most western point of the landmass of Europe and consequently the most western Christian church and graveyard in Europe. It is 8.5km west from the village of Ventry and 15.25km from Dingle. There were four cross slabs recorded in Dunquin in the course of this survey, two of which were recorded in the Dingle Archaeological Survey as ‘...2 grave-markers in the form of rough stone crosses’ (Cuppage 1984, 366). The two stones correspond with crosses 180 and 184 in this survey' (Dunne 2010, 12). The above description is derived from J. Cuppage, ‘Corca Dhuibhne. Dingle Peninsula archaeological survey. Ballyferriter. Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne’ (1986), no. 982. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. See attached plan and photograph courtesy of Laurence Dunne. Revised by: Caimin O'Brien. Date of revised upload: 30 June 2022

• KE052-014005 Cross
  Description

  In 2010 a graveyard survey carried out by Laurence Dunne recorded the following details about a stone cross No. 44: 'Dunquin Church [KE052-014001-] and Graveyard [KE052-014002-] is situated on the westernmost tip of the Dingle Peninsula, indeed the most western point of the landmass of Europe and consequently the most western Christian church and graveyard in Europe. It is 8.5km west from the village of Ventry and 15.25km from Dingle. There were four cross slabs recorded in Dunquin in the course of this survey, two of which were recorded in the Dingle Archaeological Survey as ‘...2 grave-markers in the form of rough stone crosses’ (Cuppage 1984, 366). The two stones correspond with crosses 180 and 184 in this survey. A third similar roughly hewn anthropomorphic type cross (44) of local green siltstone was also recorded partially exposed and askew, abutting a lintelled grave in the interior of the graveyard' (Dunne 2010, 12). See attached plan and photograph courtesy of Laurence Dunne. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien. Date of upload: 30 June 2022

• KE052-014006 Cross-inscribed stone
  Description

  In 2010 a graveyard survey carried out by Laurence Dunne recorded the following details about a cross inscribed stone No. 30: 'Dunquin Church [KE052-014001-] and Graveyard [KE052-014002-] is situated on the westernmost tip of the Dingle Peninsula, indeed the most western point of the landmass of Europe and consequently the most western Christian church and graveyard in Europe. It is 8.5km west from the village of Ventry and 15.25km from Dingle. There were four cross slabs recorded in Dunquin in the course of this survey, two of which were recorded in the Dingle Archaeological Survey as ‘...2 grave-markers in the form of rough stone crosses’ (Cuppage 1984, 366). The two stones correspond with crosses 180 and 184 in this survey. The fourth cross-slab (30) comprises a small rectangular sandstone situated in the north-western limits of the graveyard, circa 3.5m from cross-slab (180). The gravemarker is lightly incised with an equal armed cross whose arms extend across the full width of the stone' (Dunne 2010, 12). See attached plan and photograph courtesy of Laurence Dunne. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien. Date of upload: 30 June 2022

• KE052-307 Font
  Description

  Inserted in the wall of the vestibule in the modern church at Dunquin is s stone with a circular depression, 0.26m in diameter and 0.15m deep. This may be the font which was visible at the E end of the old church (KE052-014001-) in 1841 (OSNB) or it may have been removed from Ballywiheen church (KE042-094003-) (local information) (Cuppage 1986, 366)

Architectural heritage

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

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

Ground and risks

Radon

At the centre of this parcel, about 1 in 10 homes in this area is likely to have high radon levels. Testing a home

Landslides

The 1:50,000 map rates the landslide susceptibility here as low.

Terrain model

No LiDAR survey of the Office of Public Works covers the centre of this parcel.

Flooding

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

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

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

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