,38 Pj-oceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



mislead, that Domnach stood on the site now occupied by Kilnavait Eoman 

 Catholic Church. The church occupies a position which, I would venture to 

 say, is quite unique, for it is built inside a strong, deeply fossed rath, and I 

 doubt whether all Ireland could produce another example of the like colloca- 

 tion. The interior of a rath would surely not have been chosen for a church 

 site either in modern or in mediseval times. Neither would such a choice 

 have been made in the earliest period of Christianity except for some very 

 exceptional and compelling reason.^ 



The humble chapel mentioned by Father Brady stood among the ruins of 

 a much earlier edifice, of whose origin all memory has long been lost. Lewis 

 in 1837 thus referred to it : "At Kilnavart are also the remains of an ancient 

 monastery, of which there are no particulars on record, with an extensive 

 burial-place still in use."- This rath-enclosed burial-place, the present 

 chapel yard, is still regularly used for interments by the local population ; 

 and I found, when inspecting it, that some of the older tombstone inscrip- 

 tions give the townland name as Kilfert.^ Among the lands demised to Sir 

 Garrott, or Gerald, Moore of Mellifont, on 6th March, 1605-6, were the 

 termon " of Kilfeart, 2 pulls, the like of Templeport, 4 pulls." * The Bishop 

 of Kilmore lodged claims on these termons ; and an Inquisition taken at 

 Cavan on the 20th September, 1609, upheld his suit, finding that he was 

 seized in fee " out of the termon land of Templeport, conteyning six pooles, 

 ten shillings and two-third partes of a beefe per annum ; and out of the other 

 polles of termon land adjoyninge to the chappie of Kilfert, in the parish of 

 Templeport, twelve pence per annum."' 



The earlier church of Kilfert, or Kilnavart, is thus proved to have been 

 a religious foundation of recognized standing, supported by two pulls, or 

 polls,^ of termon land. On the Down Survey map of Templeport Parish 

 those two polls, adjoining the chapel, are seen to be the contiguous townlands 

 of Kilfert and Cownaren," measuring respectively about eighty-four and 



' Though I have seen other churches and church remains similarly situated, in no 

 instance have I discerned traces of a fosse or outer rampart. At Kildallon, about five 

 miles from Kilnavart, a little fort encloses the site of St. Dalian's early chui-ch, now a 

 cemetery ; while the present Episcopalian church, at the opposite side of the road, is 

 surrounded by a small elliptical fort. 



- " Top. Diet.," vol. ii, p. 613 (Art. " Templeport "). 



3 The form •' Kilferten " also occurs. 



■lErck's " Enrolments of the Patent Rolls of Chancery," p. 233. 



■'' " Ulster Inquisitions," App. vii. 



''This land-measure seems to have varied from half to three-quarters of a plough-land. 

 For diflerent estimates of it see Dr. Reeves, Proc. R LA., vol. vii, p. 477 ; Harris's 

 ' ' Hibernica," Pt. I, p- 117 ; Erck, op. cit., pp. 220 and 232. 



' These polls are now represented by Kilnavart and Cloneaiy townlands, in extent 



