Old Pollardstown Church Co Kildare

                                     Above Image: The entrance gate & stile.

                                             Above Image: The East gable

                                            Above Image: The West gable

                                    Above Image: West gable triple light window

                            Below 4 Images: Some views of the Pollardstown Fen

This ruin lies a little North of the Curragh in Co.Kildare on a quiet back road. The Church dates to Medieval times and stands in the Northern section of a walled enclosure. It appears to be a basic parish-style Church that along with others of it's ilk fell into disuse and ruin after the suppression of Abbeys and Churches in the 1500's..
This is one of those curious little Churches that you find dotted around the country and especially here in Kildare which seems to have a huge ecclesiastical presence. It took me a little time to locate it taking a winding back road into the backwaters. The countryside around here although very flat is particularly picturesque with a lot of equine presence due to the nearby racecourses and Horse stud farms.
The enclosure around the ruin contains both a gate (which is unlocked) and a stile in it's Southern wall.What remains today of the Church are the East and West gables with most of the North and South walls diminished to foundation level. The gables strand proudly like two sentinels watching over the graves surrounding them. The graveyard is still in use attested by the nicely mown lawn that washes up like a tide on the more overgrown ruins. In the West gable there is a nicely preserved triple light window and an aperture in the East gable that was once probably another window now covered with overgrowth.Other than these there are no other visible features of note. It is a decidedly quiet spot here although there are some houses nearby but not much activity. I have to say although not very extensive I still find this ruin very pleasing to the eye.
A pleasant aside to my visit was the discovery that the Pollardstown Fen, the only natural Fenland in the country, lay only a few hundred yards down the road Eastwards from the Church. It was a beautiful morning so I took advantage and made the 30 minute walk around the boardwalk that crosses this interesting area and I would urge you to do the same if time allows.
To find the ruin, take the M7 heading West and exit at Junction 15. At the top of the exit ramp turn right on the roundabout and cross over the bridge to the roundabout on the other side. Here take the exit for the R413/R415 and follow this road until you reach another roundabout. Go straight Through and after approx. 800m you will see a building on your left marked "Cunninghams Bar & Restaurant". 800m beyond this you will see a right hand turn onto a narrow road with stone walls on either side and marked with an information sign pointing to the Pollardstown Fen. Turn right onto this road and follow it until you reach a T-Junction. Turn left at the Junction and drive for approx. 200m and you will spot the ruin on your right. You can park directly at the gate. If you want to visit the fen just turn around and follow the road Eastwards for approx. 400m and you will see the Fen car park on your left.