Arhaelogists say that this oval shaped, hill-top site was an "early ecclesiastical enclosure", probabley dating back to the 5th 0r 6th century.

This parish church of Ballinakill, little of which remains except for the east wall, is reputed to have been the first Gothic Church in Connacht. It had a plain nave (71ft. by 20ft). Two narrow windows in the East wall prove that it was, in fact, one of the earliest Gothic churches west of the Shannon. It was built, therefore, in the early part of the 13^th Century. The building of this church would have coincided with the coming of the Normans and it is possible that the Burkes helped with the building as was normal for Norman families who came to this counry. One can only speculate as to when this parish church fell into disuse but it seems likely that it served the people of the area until the Suppression and the grant of church lands to Sir Nicholas Malby (1577).

The original church at Ballinakill was extended in the 14^th century by the addition of a chapel (30ft by 17ft) which was the burial place of the MacDavid Burkes. An outstanding feature of this chapel is its South window with fine tracery in a flamboyant design. The window was filled in in 1722 when a large inscribed monument to Sir John Burke was set on the inside. On the inside of the South wall there is also a fine limestone effigy to a Norman Knight. He is dressed in armour with a helmet and sword. Burke family tradition believed that the effigy was a likeness of William (conquerer) DeBurgh - the first DeBurge (Burke) to set foot in Irela

THREE CRUCIFIXION PLAQUES AT BALLINAKILL (Co. Galway)

Glinsk Castle and the effigy of William Burke are parts of our heritage of national importance at Ballinakill, Co. Galway. However, there are three lesser known, but equally important, works at Ballinakill. These are the Crucifixion Plaques, two on the present Catholic Church and the third beside the Burke effigy in the Graveyard.

Stone Crucifixion plaques are rectangular, usually not more than one metre in maximum size. With the carving of Crucifixion there can be a number of emblems of the Passion or two flanking figures. Many plaques have an adjoining inscription and , though this is less frequent, the crest and coat of arms of the erecting family. Many of these plaques were erected as part of memorials to the deceased while many are simply reminders of the Crucifixion. They are not to be confused with headstones which are set in the grounds. The simplest of the three plaques is over the porch of the Catholic church. The excellent and detailed carving of Christ has not suffered from weathering. It was taken from the nearby graveyard when the present Church was being renewed by the late Canon Crehan P.P. There is no indication of what monument, if any, it was formerly incorporated into. Unlike the other two plaques from that graveyard it does not have any special emblems of the Passion.

The figure of Christ, displaying a very under-nourished appearance, is delicately carved in detail. The head with clean-shaven face leans to the right. The hair reaches the shoulders but there is no indication of a crown of thorns. Ribs are indicated and stomach is withdrawn.

The legs are placed side by side, nails are not indicated, the feet seem to be broken.

The arms and hands are over-sized. The upraised arms show severe stretching of the skin. The hands are affixed to the cross by round headed nails with all fingers outstretched and the thumb overlying the index finger. The loin cloth is a flimsy affair consisting of a thin belt from which hang a number of strips of cloth covering all but the right leg and hangs in a bow beside the right leg.

The second plaque is at the top of the gable above the porch. The plaque may be triangular in shape although it is now revealed through a pentagonal recess in the plasterwork of the gable. (This plaque also came from Ballinakill) The figure of Christ is in a most unusuaol dance-like pose. The head with clean-shaven face leans heavily to the left. Around the head a series of triangles radiate forming a large auriole and from below its end, hair reaches over the shoulders. Below the solidly carved body, the well-proportioned legs are flexed to the right. The feet are damaged but the left one appears to rest on the right one. The arms are upraised and the outstretched fingers are attached to the cross by means of round-headed nails. The loin cloth is made up of two ropes side by side and passing round the body twice and ending in a tassel on Christ's left side. On Christ's left are a ladder, pincers, hammer, spear with tassel attached below the blade and an , as yet, unidentified object. Attached to Christ's right upper arm is a cord. Below that arm is a fan-tailed cock standing on a three-legged, round-bottomed skillet, A pillar with rope looped around it twice and a raised rectangle with thirty incised circles representing the thirty pieces of silver. Along the visible base of the plaque is a two-line inscription in English of which only the following is legible: 'Pray for the Soul of the Burke Alias…..'

The third plaque is in the ruins of the Mediaeval south chapel of the church in Ballinakill graveyard which is well known from the presence of a sixteenth century effigy of William Burke erected against the south gable of the chapel in 1722. The flamboyant traceried window beside the effigy has been blocked by a memorial to another of the Burke family, Joannes De Burgo, who died in 1721. This memorial consists of a crucifixion plaque, crest and coat of arms and a lengthy latin inscription. The Crucifixion plaque measures 67cms by 63cms. The figure of Christ is excellently carved with the face having a very grim expression. Long wavy hair reaches over the shoulders. There is a forked spreading beard and a spreading moustache. Above the crown of thorns is a small plain cross. The legs are placed side by side. The well carved hands, with outstretched fingers and the thumb overlying the index finger, are attached to a cross by means of square headed nails. On Christ's left is a bunch of reeds, a two-thong scourge with star ends, five coins and a ladder. On his right there is a sprightly cock rising from a three-legged skillet, a claw hammer crossed by pincers, a spear with a tassel attached below the blade, a pillar with cord attached and surmounted by a monstrance, and finally ten circular discs, each of which has a small circular depression. The memorial beneath is to Barron Joannes DeBurgo who died 1721 and his wife Joanna Dillon. Probably erected 1722.

Stone Crucifixion Plaques are common in the south and east of Ireland in the period up to 1600 A.D. About two dozen plaques in Connacht appear to belong to the period 1625-1825. The two Ballinakill plaques with emblems here are also linked by mentions of the Burke and Dillon families. One is dated at 1722 and the other is probably close to that in date.

Two of the Ballinakill plaques are interesting for the emblems of the Passion. The full list of emblems runs to about thirty and about thirteen of these are displayed at Ballinakill. Most like the hammer, pincers and nails are easily explained. The cock emerging from the pot is not the cock that crowed at Peter's denial but is associated with Judas. When Judas betrayed Jesus he went home to his wife who was cooking a chicken and he told her he was worried about the Lord rising again. She comforted him by saying that Our Lord has as much chance of rising as the now well cooked chicken. With that the chicken rose from the pot! The story was widely depicted on memorials to the dead down the centuries. The carving of plaques seems to have faded out about 1825 but by then the art of the plaques was transferred to and well established on headstones.