Garfinny Church facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Garfinny Church
Teampall na Gairfeanaí
Garfinny Church Location in Ireland
52°08′53″N 10°14′03″W / 52.147965°N 10.2342°W / 52.147965; -10.2342
Location	Garfinny, Dingle, County Kerry
Country	Ireland
Denomination	Catholic (pre-Reformation)
Architecture
Functional status	ruined
Specifications
Materials	greenschist, clay
Administration
Diocese	Ardfert and Aghadoe

Garfinny Church is an old church in County Kerry, Ireland. It was built a very long time ago, during the Middle Ages. Today, it is a National Monument, which means it's a special protected historical site.

Where is Garfinny Church?

Garfinny Church is found in an old graveyard. This graveyard covers a large area, about 0.776 hectares (which is like two football fields). The church is located about 2.3 kilometers (1.4 miles) northeast of Dingle, a well-known town in County Kerry.

What Does the Church Look Like?

Not much of the original church is left today. Only the eastern wall, called a gable, still stands. This wall is about 3.7 meters (12 feet) tall. It was built using a type of rock called greenschist.

A Stone with a Story

In the graveyard, there is a special stone. It has an old message carved into it. This message tells the story of a family named Kennedy. It says that Maurice Kennedy and his wife Judith Carrane are buried there. Also, James Kennedy and his wife Alice Moriarty Achillon are buried there.

The stone explains that Maurice and James were part of a family that moved a long time ago. Their great-grandfather, John Kennedy, left a place called Nenagh in Ormond. This happened during the time of Oliver Cromwell, in the 1600s. Many Irish families had to move from their homes back then. The Kennedy family settled in the Garfinach area.

This stone was placed in 1816 by Jos. Kennedy, a doctor, and Revd. James Kennedy, a priest from Dingle. They were the sons of James Kennedy mentioned on the stone. It helps us understand how families moved around Ireland in the past.