Parish of Drumcrehy (a)

Inistymon,
October 22nd 1839.

Dear Sir,
This day is so wet that we cannot venture out but we have fortunately enough to do within doors so that no time will be lost.

This Parish, according to the Down Survey, is bounded on the north by the Bay of Galway; on the west and southwest by the Parishes of Glenenagh and Rathboirneach and on the southeast and east by the Parish of Abbey.

This Parish is called in the original language Druim Críche, which means the Ridge of Crioch, so called from the situation of the original Parish Church on a drum or green long hill in the Territory of Crioch Maille.

The old Church of this Parish is about five centuries old and in a state of dilapidation. It consisted of nave and choir, but all the nave is now destroyed except its south wall of which only twelve feet are destroyed on the west end. This wall contains a round headed doorway constructed of well cut limestone, and measuring six feet two inches in height and three feet four inches in width.

In the same wall at the distance of fourteen feet six inches from this doorway to the east is a quandrangular window formed of cut limestone. It is three feet from the present level of the ground and is four feet one inch in height and ten inches in width.

The east division or choir of this Church is much larger than the northern division or nave; it measuring fifty two feet by twenty one feet six, whereas the nave is only thirty six feet by eighteen feet. It is in tolerable preservation and does not present any of the features of the primitive or middle ages. In its north wall at the distance of thirteen feet from the middle gable there is a pointed doorway seven feet high and three feet nine inches wide. The east gable contains a high window, round inside and pointed outside, constructed of cut limestone and in good preservation. It is eight feet six inches high on the inside and five feet four inches wide and on the outside seven feet high and eight inches wide. The south wall contains another window of equal dimensions, which rarely occurs in other Churches. The side walls of the eastern part of the Church or choir (if I may so call it) are fourteen feet high and two feet six inches thick. They are obviously more modern than the side walls of the nave or western part which are three feet nine inches thick and present a more ancient aspect. This Church stands in an extensive graveyard.