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Kilmoyle old graveyard is a site of an early Christian ecclesiastical settlement in the parish of Moyle, comprising the remains of a church and an associated burial ground with an adjoining souterrain. The site lies on Palaeogene extrusive bedrock formed from ancient mafic lava and tuff, which here creates the foundation beneath the graveyard's elevated location. Such underground stone-lined passages were common features of early medieval Irish settlements, serving variously as storage, refuge or ritual spaces within the monastic or domestic landscape.
The church site and graveyard represent the spiritual and funerary focus of an early Christian community, likely established between the fifth and eighth centuries when Christianity was taking root in Ulster. The presence of the souterrain suggests a settlement of some substance and permanence. The site's topography and geology would have influenced the positioning and construction of these structures by the early Christian inhabitants.
Today Kilmoyle old graveyard survives as an archaeological monument protected by the Historic Environment Division of the Department for Communities. The earthworks and subsurface remains continue to preserve evidence of early medieval religious life and burial practice in this part of County Antrim.
Kilmoyle old graveyard. church (site of) & graveyard with souterrain is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 598. View the official record →
Kilmoyle old graveyard is a site of an early Christian ecclesiastical settlement in the parish of Moyle, comprising the remains of a church and an associated burial ground with an adjoining souterrain. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 598.
Kilmoyle old graveyard. church (site of) & graveyard with souterrain dates from the e.christ. period, and is classified as a ecclesiastical site. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Kilmoyle old graveyard. church (site of) & graveyard with souterrain is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Ni. The official designation reference is 598.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Enclosure & souterrain - part of armoy ecclesiastical site [ant 013 (5 km), Tullaghore crosses. crosses (2) (6 km), Clegernagh, clegernagh graveyard, kilcroagh fort, kilcroagh fort. graveyard, stone cross & souterrain (7 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Kilmoyle old graveyard. church (site of) & graveyard with souterrain's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Kilmoyle old graveyard. church (site of) & graveyard with souterrain stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Palaeogene, bedrock that formed in the Paleogene. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.