Farmley

Area

668,355 m² (66.84 ha, 165.15 acres)

Buildings

8 buildings touch it. Their footprint covers 3,081 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

Farmley

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 16 recorded monuments.

• DG025-049 Burial mound
  Description

  Identified by Caroline Carr of the Donegal County Museum (2007-). This huge, approx. rectangular earthwork is known locally as a burial mound. It is flat topped. It is not possible to say whether or not this is a (1) naturally-occurring feature, (2) upcast from a long forgotten drainage of the the Ray River in this area, which is located immediately to the W or a genuine antiquity. Alternatively it may be that it is either one of the first two options that was later used for burials.

• KK023-071001 Castle - tower house
  Description

  On a wide low flat-topped eminence with views in all directions, with the medieval church (KK023-072001-) and graveyard (KK023-072002-) across the modern road immediately to the S. A castle of a branch of the Fitzgerald family, styled Barons of Burnchurch in the former county palatinate of Kilkenny. In 1654 the last Baron of Burnchurch, Richard Fitzgerald, was transplanted to Connaught and his possessions granted to Colonel William Warden (Commins 1906, 266). It is claimed that Oliver Cromwell probably stayed in the tower house following the siege of Kilkenny, in March 1650, when his army camped at Burnchurch (ibid.). Austin Cooper visited the castle in the 1780s and recorded that it seemed ‘as if but lately inhabited’ and that there was a deep well within the precincts (Price 1942, 30). The tower house was inhabited until the early 19th century, the last resident being the Reverend William Swift who died in 1817 (ibid.). A late 15th/early 16th-century rectangular four-storey tower house (National Monument No. 321) protected by a bawn (KK023-071003-), of which only a circular angle tower survives above ground 20m to the N. An early 19th-century print shows the remains of a bawn wall running between the two towers (Carrigan 1905, vol. 3, opposite 378). The tower house (dims. 10.9m N-s; 9.5m E-W externally at base) is constructed of roughly coursed limestone rubble with well-cut quoins and has a base-batter (H 2.5m; Wth 0.35m). The garderobe chute exits at the S end of the W wall 1.05m above external ground level. The tower house was entered at ground level towards the W end of the N wall, through a pointed head with an external rebate and iron fittings for a yett. The entrance lobby has a murder-hole overhead and a doorway to the left leads to a second lobby. From this a doorway gives access to the ground floor and a straight stair rises eastwards in the thickness of the wall. The ground floor has loops to E and W and a high-level small secondary rectangular window to S. The first floor is entered at the NE corner and the lobby on the stairs has a murder-hole over it. Its floor was laid on joists set into the E and W walls. The oak joist against the S wall survives. There are narrow windows in embrasures to E, S and W and a door leading to a small chamber in the N wall. Another doorway in the NW corner gave access to another small chamber, now filled with masonry, with corner loop and murder-hole over entrance lobby. The stair continues up the E wall with an entrance to the second floor being soon after the corner. It had a timber floor held on corbels and a window to W and a large secondary three-light window to W. A door in S wall gave access to a garderobe and there is an original fireplace, with joggled voussoirs held on corbels, at N end of W wall. A doorway in the N wall gave access to a long narrow chamber with angle loop to NE. A stair rises from a window embrasure at the S end of the E wall and turns the corner to the S wall to give access to the third floor, an intersol beneath the vault, with no windows. The main stair continues up the E wall to the SE angle to give access to the fourth floor, the main room of the tower house above the vault. This room has two-light windows to S and E and single-light windows to N and W. At the N end of the W wall there is a large fireplace with joggled voussoirs. Entered westwards off the S embrasure is a garderobe. Beneath the passage to the garderobe is a secret chamber. Towards the S end of the E wall a stair leads down to a small intramural chamber at third-floor level. At the NE angle a spiral stair leads up to the parapets. At its start a stair leads down to another intramural chamber at third-floor level in the N wall, with windows to N and W. The spiral stairs leads to a doorway leading S on the E wall-walk. At roof level the N and S walls were continued upwards to form mural chambers, between which the roof ran. That to the S has a passage within it giving access between the E and W wall-walks and a doorway leading N into a gallery above this end of the main room. That to the N has a long narrow chamber entered off the spiral stairs. The W wall-walk is partly blocked by a cylindrical chimney. The wall-walks above the mural chambers, with parapets all around, are accessed by projecting steps running above, and parallel with, the E roofline. The external parapets have stepped crenellations and a series of rectangular holes below the level of the base of the crenels. These may be either for scaffolding or for a defensive timber hoard. The roof-line of a later attached two-storey building can be seen in the exterior of the N wall of the tower house. A doorway was broken through the N wall of the tower house at first-floor level to give access to the upper storey of this house, the timber floor of which partly rested on an inserted corbel projecting from the tower house. (National Monument no. 321) Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of revised upload: 17 August 2016

• KK023-071003 Bawn
  Description

  A castle of a branch of the Fitzgerald family, styled Barons of Burnchurch in the former county palatinate of Kilkenny. In 1654 the last Baron of Burnchurch, Richard Fitzgerald, was transplanted to Connaught and his possessions granted to Colonel William Warden (Commins 1906, 266). The rectangular tower house (KK023-071001-) was protected by a bawn, only a circular tower of which survives, 20m N of the tower house. The tower appears to have formed the NW angle of the bawn. A sketch by Robertson (Burtchaell 1893, facing 179) shows the remains of a wall connecting the S face of the circular tower with the N face of the tower house. The four-story angle tower (int. diam. c. 2.9m; wall T 1.3m) is constructed of roughly coursed limestone rubble and has remnants of the N (T 1.25m) and W (T 1.36m) walls of the bawn. It is entered through a round-headed doorway facing SE. A stair ascends from S to first floor. The stair to the upper levels is across the missing wooden floor and hence now inaccessible. A window facing W at first-floor level was later converted to a fireplace with liberal use of brick. There is a garderobe at second-floor level and a fireplace on the third floor. The floors were held by slight offsets. The parapet survives with long merlons and few crenels. (National Monument no. 321) Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of revised upload: 17 August 2016

• KK023-072001 Church
  Description

  Carrigan (1905, vol. 3, 375) describes how Burnchurch parish appears in the Red Book of Ossory as ‘Kiltranyn, Kiltranen, Kyltranyn and Ecclesia Combusta’ and states that the present name ‘dates from at least the year 1374, and may be much older’. The parish was appropriated to the Priory of Kells but Maurice, son of Maurice, during the Episcopate of Hugh de Rous (1202-18) (ibid.). Commins (1906, 267) speculates that the church was burned in either 1316 or 1327, as on ‘Palm Sunday in the former year, Edward Bruce burned Kells; and it is stated in Clyn’s Annals that almost the whole barony of Kells was burned by Lord Bermingham and the Geraldines in November of the latter date’. According to Carrigan (ibid.) the medieval church, ‘turned to Protestant religious service at the Reformation, became so ruinous that it had to be abandoned in the year 1800, and was taken down to make room for the present Protestant church in 1810. Its patron was St. Dallan or Dallawn, whose feast was celebrated here …on the 31st of July’. The C of I church is now also abandoned and has become a roofless ruin. Within the associated graveyard (KK023-072002-) Carrigan (ibid. 376-7) notes two medieval graveslabs (KK023-072003-; KK023-072004-) and the mensa of a 16th-century chest tomb (KK023-072005-). Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 23 August 2021

• KK023-072002 Graveyard
  Description

  The graveyard is indicated on the 1st (1839) ed. OS 6-inch map as an irregular area shown as a dashed line, which suggests that it was not enclosed at this time. On the 1947 revision of the OS map the graveyard (dims. c. 50m N-S; c. 80m E-W) has become enclosed by a stone wall/stone wall and railing, with the public road curving to form the N and W side of the graveyard. The entrance is via wrought iron double-leaf gate in the N wall. In the OS Letters (1839) the graveyard is described as, ‘a large and much frequented burying ground’ (O’Flanagan 1930, vol. 2, 30-31 (12)). Within the associated graveyard (KK023-072002-) Carrigan (1905, vol. 3, 376-7) notes two medieval graveslabs (KK023-072003-; KK023-072004-) and the mensa of a 16th-century chest tomb (KK023-072005-). Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 23 August 2021

• KK023-072003 Graveslab
  Description

  Within the graveyard (KK023-072002-) associated with the medieval church of Burnchurch (KK023-072001-), at the base of the external E gable of the C of I church. This graveslab (L 1.765m; Wth 0.71m; T 0.18m) is described by Carrigan (1905, vol. 3, 376) as being decorated with, ‘an eight-pointed cross, in relief, down the centre; and is curiously ornamented with carvings of gothic windows, groining, geometrical figures, &c., also an inverted shield with a cross saltire. It was evidently used as a floor-slab in the old church. The date has been worn away, but the tomb may be safely assigned to the second half of the 15th century. The inscription is raised Old English [Black Letter], and consists of two lines, one at each side of the cross. With the exception of the date, all the gaps occurring in it can be readily filled up’. The inscription is given as, ‘…ard9 F9 Roulandi…z Moryss & joha… Whytte ux’ eius Anno Dni M…. ' which translates as, ‘[Here lie Rich]ard fitz Moryss, and Johanna Whytte, his wife, A.D. 1…’ (ibid.).  The eight-armed cross is unusual in that only three of the arms terminate with a point, the others having a flat, straight terminal. Immediately below the cross-head there is a large octagonal knop. The cross-shaft continues to the base of the graveslab, perhaps indicating that the slab has been shortened. There is also a stepped band which crosses the cross-shaft towards the base of the slab, however these are more usually positioned higher up, near the top or middle of the cross-shaft. Above the cross-head, across the top of the graveslab are three sunken panels, the centre and dexter panel are pointed and the sinister panel is square. The centre panel is decorated with a raised cross with a central circular boss, representing the sun, with two raised rays extending from the boss on either side of the lower arm of the cross. Below the cross arm on the dexter side there is a hammer and opposite there is a raised V shape, possibly representing a pincer and nails. The dexter panel contains a raised Saltire cross and the sinister panel has two geometric motifs, one an eight-armed cross within a square in the upper dexter angle, the other in the lower sinister angle consists of a tracery pattern within a slightly off-kilter triangle. On either side of the upper portion of the cross-head, and below the top panels, there is a two-light pointed window with tracery in relief. Beside this on the dexter side, on the face of the graveslab, is a motif showing rib-vaulting and beside this there is another interlace pattern. On the sinister side there is a triskele within a circle beside the two-light window.  Within the graveyard there are other medieval graveslabs (KK023-072004- to KK023-072010-), two side panels from chest tombs (KK023-072008-; KK023-072011-) and the mensa of a chest tomb (KK023-072005-). Compiled by: Jean Farrelly

• KK023-072004 Graveslab
  Description

  Within the graveyard (KK023-072002-) associated with the medieval church of Burnchurch (KK023-072001-), 8m E of the gable of the C of I church. This graveslab (L 1.98m; Wth 0.94m), embedded in the ground, is decorated in false relief with an eight-armed interlace cross with fleur-de-lis terminals, the cross-shaft rests on a stepped cross-base. It is described by Carrigan (1905, vol. 3, 377) as ‘a floor slab in the old church, which accounts for the disappearance of portions of the inscription. At the right side of the raised central cross, is a shield with the Fitzgerald coat of arms, but only the cross saltire may now be seen; at the left of the cross is another shield, with the fretty of the St. Legers. Underneath there are two other shields, but the arms sculptured thereon, if any, are obliterated. The inscription is raised Old English [Black Letter]; it runs round the edge and is continued in several inner lines. Almost an entire line, worn away, at the edge, along the right side of the cross, and continued in two short lines, still legible, at the base, evidently commemorated John Baron, lord of Burnchurch (father of Richard, subsequently lord of Burnchurch), who was a Justice of the Peace for the County Kilkenny, and was murdered at Mallardstown, in the 6th year of Edward VI., i.e. some time between Jany. 28th, 1552, and Jany. 28th, 1553’. The inscription is given as, ‘Hic jacet……on, Dns de Burnchurch et Anastatia Sintlegger uxor ei9 qi obiit primo die Februarii An. Do. Mcccccxlv0-4……Deus. Amen. Testis sis mihi, Ch[ris]te q’ non jacet hic lapis iste corpus ut ornetur, sed ut sp[irit]us memoretur. Quisquis eris qi trasieris, sta, p[er]lege, plora; sum quod eris, fueramque, quod es. Pro me precor ora……di 1 552, fili9 & her9 Rouladi, r9 aie pp’r de9 ’, which translates as, ‘Here lie [Rouland Bar]on, lord of Burnchurch, and Anastatia St. Leger, his wife, who died Feb. 1st 1544-5. [On whose souls may] God [have mercy]. Amen. Be my witness, O Christ, that this stone does not lie here, to ornament the body, but to have the soul remembered. Whoe’er thou art that passest by, stand, read, lament. I am what you will be; I was what you are. Pray for me I beseech you. [Here lies John Baron], son and heir of Rouland, [who died] A.D. 1552. On whose soul may God have mercy’ (ibid. 376-7).  Within the graveyard there are other medieval graveslabs (KK023-072004- to KK023-072010-), two side panels from chest tombs (KK023-072008-; KK023-072011-) and the mensa of a chest tomb (KK023-072005-). Compiled by: Jean Farrelly

• KK023-072005 Tomb - chest tomb
  Description

  Within the graveyard (KK023-072002-) associated with the medieval church of Burnchurch (KK023-072001-), embedded in the ground 8m E of the E gable of the C of I church. This is the upper portion of a graveslab (surviving L 1.08m; Wth 0.86m) and the decoration, in false relief, is very worn. Only the dexter arm of the cross-head is faintly visible, however, there is enough surviving to suggest that the cross-head, with fleur-de-lis terminals, has a combination of rectilinear and curvilinear interlace, very similar to the graveslab of William Donoghou, dated 1597, in St Canice’s Cathedral (Barry et al. 1985, 91-2, Fig. 44). It also shares a sun motif, within the border, in the dexter angle. It is described by Carrigan (ibid. 377) as a mensa, having an inscription, ‘in raised Old English [Black Letter] lettering, [which] is on two pieces of the covering slab of a large altar-tomb, the remaining fragments of the slab are missing. The Christian name of the occupant of the tomb is lost, but very probably it was Garret. “Gerrot fitz Thomas Fitzgerald of Burnchurch, gentleman,” had a pardon, Feb. 25th, 1561-2; he was still living in 1569’.  The inscription is given as, ‘….ome Fitzgeralde nuper de Burnchurch generosus Constabul ...Castelli Kilkenie qi obiit po die Martis 1586. ……m quod eris fueramq. ….or ora. Walterus Kerin fabricavit ’, which translates as, ‘[Here lies Garret ? fitz] Thomas Fitzgeralde, late of Burnchurch, gentleman, Constable of the Castle of Kilkenny, who died March 1st 1586. [Whoe’er thou art that passest by, stand read, lament]. I am what you will be; I was [what you are]. Pray [for me I beseech you]. Walter Kerin made the tomb’ (ibid.).  Within the graveyard there are also a number of medieval graveslabs (KK023-072004- to KK023-072010-) and two side panels from chest tombs (KK023-072008-; KK023-072011-). Compiled by: Jean Farrelly

• KK023-072006 Graveslab
  Description

  Within the graveyard (KK023-072002-) associated with the medieval church of Burnchurch (KK023-072001-). A tapering sandstone graveslab (H 0.45m above ground; top Wth 0.46m, T 0.1m) only the upper portion of which is visible as it has been positioned upright in the graveyard where it is reused as a headstone. It is decorated with a deeply incised four-armed lozenge-shaped cross-head with fleur-de-lys terminals. The upper edge of the slab is chamfered (Wth 0.05m). See attached photograph: KK023-072006-_01 taken by Christiaan Corlett, 24 August 2022 Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 5 September 2022

• KK023-072007 Graveslab
  Description

  Within the graveyard (KK023-072002-) associated with the medieval church of Burnchurch (KK023-072001-). A tapering graveslab (H 0.59m above ground; Wth at base of slab 0.23m; Wth at ground level 0.31m; T 0.12m), only the lower portion of which is visible as it has been placed upright in the ground upside down where it is being reused as a headstone. It is decorated with an incised cross, only the shaft and the base of which are visible. The cross-base terminates in a fleur-de-lys, above which is a horizontal rectangular knop. Stylistically this graveslab dates to the 13th/14th century. See attached photograph: KK023-072007-_01 taken by Christiaan Corlett, 24 August 2022 Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 5 September 2022

And 6 more.

Architectural heritage

• Farmley, country house, 1840–1860 · Regional interest
  Description

  Detached five-bay two-storey double-pile country house, c.1850, incorporating fabric of earlier house, c.1750, on site with single-bay single-storey flat-roofed projecting porch to centre ground floor, and three-bay two-storey return to north. Part refenestrated. Pitched double-pile (M-profile) slate roofs (hipped and pitched to return) with clay ridge tiles, rendered chimney stacks, cut-stone coping, and cast-iron rainwater goods on cut-stone corbels (on rendered eaves to return). Flat roof to porch not visible behind parapet. Unpainted roughcast walls to main block with rendered quoined piers to corners, rendered frieze to porch having carved cut-limestone cornice over supporting cut-limestone blocking course to parapet (rising to centre), and unpainted rendered walls to return (possibly replacement). Square-headed window openings (in camber-headed recesses to ground floor return having one in tripartite arrangement to first floor) with cut-limestone sills, moulded rendered surrounds to ground floor having friezes supporting entablatures, and replacement timber casement windows to main block retaining six-over-six timber sash windows to return having two-over-two sidelights to tripartite opening. Square-headed door opening with replacement glazed timber panelled door, c.1975, having sidelights on panelled risers, and overlight. Square-headed door opening to house with glazed timber panelled door having overlight. Interior with timber panelled shutters to window openings. Set back from road in own grounds.(ii) Detached three-bay two-storey double-pile servants' quarters, c.1750, to east. Pitched double-pile (M-profile) slate roof with clay ridge tiles, cut-limestone chimney stacks, and cast-iron rainwater goods on rendered eaves. Unpainted roughcast walls. Square-headed window openings with cut-limestone sills, and six-over-six timber sash windows.

• Farmley, gates/railings/walls, 1840–1860 · Regional interest
  Description

  Gateway, c.1850, comprising pair of unpainted roughcast piers with cut-limestone stringcourses supporting cut-limestone capping, wrought iron double gates having cast-iron finials, sections of wrought iron flanking railings having cast-iron finials, unpainted roughcast outer piers with cut-limestone stringcourses supporting cut-limestone capping, and unpainted roughcast boundary wall having cut-limestone coping. Road fronted at entrance to grounds of Farmley.

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

Landslides

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

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.