Built between 1840 and 1850, this small barrel-vaulted building caught the attention of William Copeland Borlase, who included it in his 1897 survey as a possible dolmen; one of those ancient megalithic tombs that dot the Irish landscape. However, its relatively recent construction date tells a different story altogether.

The structure itself is modest in scale, featuring the distinctive curved ceiling of a barrel vault, a building technique that creates a semi-cylindrical roof. Whilst Borlase’s initial classification as a potential prehistoric monument proved incorrect, the building’s presence in the churchyard raises intriguing questions about its original purpose. It may have served as a burial vault, a storage building, or perhaps held some other function related to the church that once stood here.

The site was formally documented in Brian Lacy’s 1983 archaeological survey and later included in the comprehensive Survey of the Megalithic Tombs of Ireland, despite not actually being a megalithic tomb. This case of mistaken identity serves as a reminder of how 19th-century structures could sometimes be confused with ancient monuments, particularly when found in historically significant locations like old churchyards. Today, it remains an interesting architectural curiosity; a Victorian addition to a medieval religious site that briefly masqueraded as something far older.