Gaile Church is probably one of those cases where its forgotten history and position in the landscape leads to more questions than answers. The boundary wall of the graveyard is a recent enough construction, dating to the 19th century and there is evidence of an earlier larger enclosure/burial area surrounding this. From this earlier boundary are several earthworks which appear to represent small fields to the North, East and South of the church. The National Monuments Website alludes to this also describing it as a ‘deserted medieval settlement’. Considering the positioning of the church on a ridge with great views over the surrounding countryside it would be logical for a community to have built up around the earlier ecclesiastical structure. The church consists of roughly coursed limestone rubble with the north, south and west walls all standing to good height, with the eastern gable the most damaged. The date of construction of this church is unknown but had already been in ruins for a significant period by the time of the ordnance survey in 1840. The graveyard is dotted with several architectural fragments taken from the church and either used as grave markers or just placed there during renovations of the graveyard itself.
As I was researching this graveyard I came across the tale of a thirteen year old girl named Mary Max who is buried at Gaile. Her story is a tragic one, being abducted and forced into marriage at the age of 13 in 1777. This abducting or ‘bride snatching’ was a significant issue in the 17th and 18th century and though it was an offence punishable by death the social/cultural mores of the time looked at it through a different lens. The story is a lengthy one and I would suggest following this link to ‘Cherry’s Cache’ website to read the full story because it is a fascinating account of a practice long forgotten in Ireland.
GPS: 52.60126, -7.84868