Ordnance Survey Letters by John O'Donovan and Eugene Curry, 1839

Parish of Killilagh (a)

This Parish is situated in the north-west of the Barony of Corcumroe, and is co-extensive with the celebrated Territory of Tuath Glae, now locally called Tuath Clae. It is bounded on the north and north east by the Barony of Burren; on the south by the Parishes of Kilshanny and Kilmacrehy and on the west by the Atlantic Ocean.

The name of this Parish is pronounced in Irish as if it were written Cill Oighleach (Kill-eye-lagh) but it is highly probable that, like Killelagh near Clarin Bridge in the Co. of Galway, it is a corruption of Cill Fhaile, i.e., the Church of St. Falie. See my letter on the Church of Killelagh in Galway.

I do not, however, find that the memory of St. Falia or any other Virgin Saint is venerated in the Parish, and the only Saint remembered in connexion with it is St. Brecan, to whom there is a Holy Well dedicated at Tomwillin.

The old Church of Killilagh stands in good preservation in the Townland to which it has given its name.
It measures fifty seven and a half feet long and nineteen in breadth. The west gable contains a small square belfry at the top and a small square window about one foot six inches by eight inches placed at the height of about twelve feet from the ground. The south wall contains a broken doorway placed at the distance of fourteen feet two inches from the west gable. It was constructed of cut stones and pointed, but now so broken that its dimensions could not be given. The same wall contains a quadrangular window placed at the distance of twelve feet ten inches to the east of the doorway and at the height of three feet from the present level of the ground on the outside. It measures on the inside three feet eight inches by two feet five inches and on the outside two feet ten inches by nine inches. In the same wall, very near the east gable, there is a pointed archway measuring - - in height and seven feet six inches in width and constructed of chiselled stones. This archway leads to a small aisle or Chapel, which is seventeen feet in length from north to south and twelve feet two inches in breadth from east to west. It contains two quadrangular windows and a pointed one. The quadrangular ones are places in the side wall facing each other at the distance of five feet from the south wall of the Church and at the height of three feet from the level of the ground outside. They measure on the inside four feet seven inches by two feet ten inches and on the outside three feet five inches by seven inches. The pointed window is placed in the south end at the height of four feet from the ground and measuring on the inside five feet eight inches by four feet six inches, and on the outside four feet six inches in height and one foot two inches in width. This window was divided into two parts by a stone mullion, which is now broken.

The east gable of the Church contains a high round-headed window, the bottom of which is five feet from the present level of the ground outside. It measures on the inside about twelve feet in height and five feet six inches in breadth, and on the outside ten feet in height and eight inches in width. The north wall is featureless.

The walls of this Church are three feet six inches in thickness and the side walls are about twelve feet high. They are built of large and small stones.

This Church is situated in a large graveyard. It is decidedly not many centuries old.