Myross

Roughly rectangular graveyard on  ridge overlooking coastline and islands to the south. The remains of the late-medieval church of Myross (CO151-024001-) survive in the north west side of graveyard. Includes many uninscribed headstones as well a number of pitched corbelled tombs. 

. It overlooks the broad Atlantic and contains the tomb the Clan Cahil O’Donovans –for centuries lords of the soil from Castle Donovan near Drimoleauge to the sea.  The Church is pre Reformation after which it passed into the hands of the Protestant Community.  The Royal Visitation Book of 1615 describes the church as being in good repair but the chancel decayed. The Protestant bishop Diva Downes visited the parish in 1699 and he notes in his “Journal” “that the church is ruinous and divine service is seldom performed.” Another entry of the same date tells us that the protestant population in the parish consisted of four or five families and the Bishop admonished the incumbent to preach in his own house till a new church was provided. The Catholics once again took possession of the church and graveyard and began burying their dead within the walls of the church.