St Molua's Trough, Ballinla, County Laois

Ballinla

St Molua's Trough/Sarcophagus

St Molua's trough previously lay under a hawthorn tree in the Old Kyle Cemetery, Clonfertmulloe. It is about one metre in length by 1/2 metre wide. The 40 cm deep sandstone trough had a lip running around the top on the inside. This lip appears to have been cemented over during appallingly bad repairs to the trough. It is officially classed as a sarcophagus, so the lip may have supported a lid. It may have held a reliquary of the saint. The sarcophagus is now resting on a concrete base in the grounds of St Molua's Catholic Church in Ballaghmore Village.


	Ballinla St Molua's Trough/Sarcophagus St Molua's trough previously lay under a hawthorn tree in the Old Kyle Cemetery, Clonfertmulloe. It is about one metre in length by 1/2 metre wide. The 40 cm deep sandstone trough had a lip running around the top on the inside. This lip appears to have been cemented over during appallingly bad repairs to the trough. It is officially classed as a sarcophagus, so the lip may have supported a lid. It may have held a reliquary of the saint. The sarcophagus is now resting on a concrete base in the grounds of St Molua's Catholic Church in Ballaghmore Village.
Situated: On the grounds of St Molua's Roman Catholic Church in Ballaghmore Village, Co Laois. Discovery Map 60: S 2052 9000. Last visit Aug 2018. Longitude: 7° 41' 40" W Latitude: 52° 57' 38" N Google Map Photos: Jim Dempsey.