killevy churches

St. Monenna, otherwise known as Darerca or Blinne, who died around 517, chose a peaceful spot on the eastern slope of Slieve Gullion for her foundation, one of the few known early Irish nunneries. It continued in existence for 1,000 years until the Reformation finally put an end to it. what seems at first like a very long church 112dt in length is, in fact, two separate churches built in a straight line, now partially joined by a wall 33 ft long.

The western church is the older of the two, with a 12th century window in the east gable. At the centre of the slightly concave west gable is a massive Cyclopean doorway which may have been retained from an earlier church (10th-11th century) on the same site. In the south wall is a recent forced opening and a medieval polygonal font. The east church may be of 15th century date, though its the northern doorway looks older and may have been moved from a position in the west gable of an earlier stone church on the site.

Leaning against the 'outer' wall of the west church is a wedge-shaped cross-decorated slab, perhaps a 13th-century grave-stone.