Togher Churches 02 - Killeenreendowney

The first ancient Church lay in the vicinity of Killeenreendowney and is thought to have pre-dated Patrician Missionaries , which in theory could suggest its origins as being circa 3rd to 4th Century - the Townlands name Cill Ri An Domnaich anglicised as " Little Church of the King of Sunday " - betraying its early Celtic lineage. The land it was situated on was probably gifted by the Uí Mhic Ceir tribe firstly to Druids for erection of sacred shrines and then to the fledgling Christian Religion. Unfortunately its whereabouts are unknown , due to the fact that the structure may have been composed of wood and therefor returned to nature owning to negligence. Other sources hint that the arrival of the Vikings in the future City of Cork circa the 9th Century may have seen this structure put to the sword and fire , the theory being that it contained priceless relics which would have been carried off as booty by the Invaders. Yet another train of thought indicates that the Ostmen of the 10th Century would have pilfered same and if constructed of stone , for same to be removed to aid in shoring up quay sides.

 Artists example illustration of what the 

Church may have looked like if composed of wood

Yet it is not disputed that the Church and its immediate surroundings was viewed as the hub of Christianity for the whole of Cork and its environs at the time. However it can be conjectured that the constant attacks saw the little Church fall into disrepair and out of use. Rather poignantly a Sraid or Town is mentioned in documents from the 1550s , which would be consistent with Church land attracting commerce and people. It is recorded that the ruins of a Church were discovered near Friars Walk in Killeenreendowney East in the 16th Century complete with relics and coins and religious paraphernalia ; it is thought however that this was a later Church and not related. In conclusion , the entire region was synonymous with organised religion stretching back over the course of 1,300 years!

Scenario showing Viking or Ostmen attack on Church
 if composed of stone which may be unlikely

A likely location for the Church if indeed sited in Killeenreendowney West would be between Boston Park and Ardmanning Avenue , which would place it at 29 Metres above sea level - the highest point in the region , which seems likely as it was the practice of Early Christian Missionaries to not only build on and/or convert former Pagan places of worship , but also to command high locations. This would make sense latitude wise as the structure could easily be viewed by travellers in its immediate surroundings which all dip below this height on both sides , North and South. The aerial photo below shows the likely spot. An old dirt track which connected Togher Road and Pouladuff Road known as The Passage and extant up to the 1950s could possibly have traversed the old location.

Possible site of the 

Little Church of the King of Sunday