Situated on a slight rise in a fairly level landscape. A church at Rathmolyn is listed in the ecclesiastical taxation (1302-06) of Pope Nicholas IV (Cal. doc. Ire., 5, 257). Ussher (1622) describes the church and chancel of Rathmullian as ruinous (Erlington 1847-64, 1, lxxxvii). According to the Dopping (1682-5) and Royal (1693) visitations St Michael’s church had been in disrepair since 1641 but the chancel and some of the church had been repaired by 1693. At that time the windows were glazed and the roof was of slates, but the floor was bare and most of the necessary liturgical paraphernalia was missing, although a font was present (Ellison 1972, 11). The names of some of the clergy from the 16th century are known (Cogan 1862-70, 2, 374). The present Church of Ireland church was built in 1797 (Lewis 1837, 2, 504). The site of the medieval parish church is within a subrectangular graveyard (dims c. 75m NW-SE: c. 45m NE-SW at NW to c. 80m NE-SW at SE) defined by masonry walls, with headstones dating from c. 1780 to the present. There is one piece of window surround (H 0.52m) from the medieval church re-used as a grave-marker. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Meath' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1987). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of revision: 23 March, 2015

Description Source: National Monuments Service, Department of Arts, Heritage Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs.