Church Of The Rath Co Cavan

 

                                   

                                   Above Image: The South gable with coat of arms

                                                Above Image: The roadside gate.

                          Above Image & Below 3 Images: The whitewashed section

                                            Above Image: Decorative windows

                                         

                                       Above Image: A mausoleum in the interior

This small church ruin stands on the site of an ancient ringfort and is known as The Church of the Rath. It subsequently became the basis for the name of the community that surrounds it - Killeshandra.

An original church structure was built here in 1390 by the Augustinian order but was in ruin by the late 16th century following the dissolution of churches in Ireland by the English crown.

By the early 1600's there was a call for a church to service the Anglican community and the ruins we see today are what remains. It was built as one of the very few Jacobean-styled churches evident in Ireland and appears to have been under the patronage of the Hamilton family who were settlers from Scotland during the plantation. Later, in 1641 they had fled Castle Hamilton during the Confederate rebellion but following the war they returned and the town which had been razed to the ground was rebuilt. The small church was also restored. Sir Francis Hamilton was responsible for converting the building into a T shape and he also added some impressive gothic style windows.

The church remained in use for quite a long time until the construction of a new bigger Anglican church in 1841. Subsequently the old Church of the Rath fell into ruin.

We came across this ruin while exploring the area and found easy access from the roadside. A very noticeable feature is the large inserted stone in the front gable depicting the coat of arms of the Hamilton's. In fact Sir Charles Hamilton and his wife Catherine are buried within the confines of the church.

The South facing doorway provides entry to the interior. A small amount of restoration has been done inside with some roofing installed in one section and a lot of whitewashing of the walls. But the majority remaining is of the original bare stone with a couple of impressive stone window frames to view.

The surrounding graveyard appears to be in use although the grounds were a little overgrown at the time of our visit.

To find the ruin take the R198 out of Cavan and follow the road until you reach a T-junction at Crossdoney. Turn right and follow the sign for Killeshandra. Drive approx. 3KM until the R198  automatically changes to the R199. Follow this road until you enter the main street of Killeshandra. Continue on through the town until you pass the Lakeland Dairies building on your left. The wall of the churchyard is 100m ahead on your right. You can park outside this wall.