Kilbirnie Parish Church And Cemetery
Burial Ground (Medieval), Chapel (Medieval) - (15th Century), Church (15th Century) (1470), War Memorial(S) (20th Century) (1922)
Site Name Kilbirnie Parish Church And Cemetery
Classification Burial Ground (Medieval), Chapel (Medieval) - (15th Century), Church (15th Century) (1470), War Memorial(S) (20th Century) (1922)
Alternative Name(s) Kilbirnie Auld Kirk; St Birinie's Church; Barony Parish Church; Kilbirnie And Glengarnock Parishioners War Memorial
Canmore ID 42216
Site Number NS35SW 2
NGR NS 31473 53647
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/42216
- Council North Ayrshire
- Parish Kilbirnie
- Former Region Strathclyde
- Former District Cunninghame
- Former County Ayrshire
NS35SW 2 31473 53647
(NS 3147 5364) Church (NAT) Formerly St Birinie's Church (NR)
(NS 3147 5362) Monument (NR)
OS 6" map (1911)
Kilbirnie Parish Church was dedicated to St Brendan. The kirk session state that it is said to stand on the site of a 6th century chapel of St. Brendan (Sanctus Birinius), and there are records of a ministry at Beith from 1127. A pre-Reformation building, it is a simple oblong, 65ft by 29 1/2ft, the tower attached to the W gable was built in 1490, the aisle was built in 1597, and the N aisle added in 1642. In 1854-5, the church was thoroughly repaired. At that time, when the old earthen floor was cleared out, numerous skeletons were dug up from nearly all over the area. Much of the S wall was rebuilt, and other alterations made.
In the churchyard is the tomb of Thomas Crawford, a captain of the protestant armies in Queen Mary's time.
J S Dobie 1880; W J Watson 1926
The Barony Parish Church, Kilbirnie, is in good condition and in use. The Crawford monument, a rectangular tomb, is dated 1594.
Visited by OS (DS) 4 September 1956
Previous field report confirmed.
Visited by OS (RDL) 12 May 1964
Drawings HD K/31/1/1-9 refer to the Knox family vault in 'Kilbirnie New Cemetery'. This might be the area centered on NS 31616 53383 to the South East of the church across from the dismantled railway.
(Information from RCAHMS DJNP 3 January 2003)
NMRS REFERENCE
Architect: Charles S. Johnston (carved panels).
NMRS Microfilm and Microfiche Collection
Monumental Inscriptions Within Cunninghame District
Copyright: Cunninghame District Council
Acc. no. 1990/57
Reel 2 (Kilbirnie), accompanied by index on microfiche.
The church was photographed in 2009 on behalf of the Buildings of Scotland publication series.
Note
Burial ground is depicted on the first edition of the OS 25-inch map (1856). Grounds extend to the south on the second edition, and further south up to the rail line on the third edition (1897, 1910). Current extent of graveyard across that rail line defined / digitized from orthoimagery provided by Bluesky International Ltd. OS 1km map square NS3153 flown on 2 April 2021.
Information provided by HES (C DeDeo) 21 January 2025.
