Kilboght Church and Graveyard

Community Monuments Fund 2021

B. Doherty

Discussion at Kilboght

B. Doherty

Medieval graveslab, Kilboght

B. Doherty

Piscina, Kilboght

B. Doherty

Doorway with water font, Kilboght

B. Doherty

Kilboght Restoration Group secured funding under the Community Monuments Fund 2021 to prepare a Conservation Management plan for Kiboght Church and Graveyard. The Community Monuments Fund was approved by the National Monuments Service, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and administered through Galway County Council.

Multi-discipline team of professionals

A multidisciplinary team including a Conservation Architect, Structural Engineer, Archaeologist and Ecologist contributed to the plan in consultation with the graveyard committee, locals and Galway County Council. Peggy Doherty was instrumental in preparing the application, contributing local knowledge and expertise in the history of the site. A drone survey of the site was also carried out to assist is identifying associated sites in the area as well as assessing the structure from above.

Conservation Management Plan

The Conservation management Plan shall be used to inform the local committee, Galway County Council and the National Monuments Service on future conservation works. The full report is available to consult below. While Kilboght is not widely known about, this site is of great archaeological and architectural importance and a major contributor to the ecclesiastical heritage of the County of Galway.

St. Richella

Saint Richella was reputed to have been a ‘Sister’ or contemporary of Saint Patrick and he founded the church here in her name. The name Cill Bocht, when literally translated means ‘Church of the Poor’. Kilreekil when translated literally means Church of Richella. The curved extent of the site to the north may represent the remnants of an Early Christian enclosure.

Recorded Monument

Kilboght church and graveyard is a recorded monument (GA098-111). Located on a hillock in gently undulating pastureland and occupying the E half of an associated graveyard (GA098-111001-). By 1563 it was occupied by Franciscan monks (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 271). What survives is a multiphase medieval church, in fair condition, consisting of a rectangular nave (21.8m E-W; 6.25m N-S) with a S transept (7.7m N-S; 5.6m E-W). (NMS Files, accessed via www.archaeology.ie) Architectural features at the site include a piscina, a water font and two medieval grave slabs within the nave.