Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Church
Gleninagh North, County Clare, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Gleninagh North
- County
- Clare
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Gleninagh Church (in ruins)
- Latest-edition OS map
- Gleninagh Church (1915)
- Coordinates
- 53.13554, -9.20617
- SMR number
- CL002-008002-
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
4 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1753 map "Mappa geographica Regni Hiberniae" (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
Historical maps covering this location
- 1753 · Mappa geographica Regni Hiberniae (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1790 · Composite: Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1869 · Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1891 · Ireland 16 (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
In improved pasture c. 300m S of the foreshore, N of centre in a rectangular NE–SW orientated graveyard (CL002-008003-) in the SW quadrant of a poorly preserved ecclesiastical enclosure (CL002-008001-). Named 'Gleninagh Church (in ruins)' on the 1840 and 1915 OS 6-inch maps. Little is known of the history of the church beyond that according to the Papal tax records a church was in existence in ‘Glaniednagh’ by 1302 (Westropp 1900, 130) and that this church was already ‘ruyned’ in 1615 (Swinfen 1992, 29). A rectangular church (int. dims. 11.5m ENE–WSW; 3.75m NNW-SSE) built of undressed roughly coursed limestone blocks facing a mortared rubble core. The walls (av. Wth 0.75m) survive to their original height (side walls H 2.3m over int.; gables 4.4m H over int.). The church is entered through a pointed-arch doorway (Wth 1.13m; H 1.65m) at the W end of the S wall. A well-preserved hanging-eye survives on the W side of the inner face. There are two windows in the S wall: a flat-headed window (H 0.45m; Wth 0.1m) set in a gently inwardly splaying embrasure between the door and W gable, and a larger (est. Wth 0.2m) partially robbed-out rectangular window also set in a gently inwardly splaying embrasure near the E end. The E gable has a well-preserved, narrow, round-headed window (H 1.37m; Wth 0.12m) set in a round-arched embrasure. The outer corners of the W gable have well-dressed quoins, while the quoins used in the corners of the E gable are largely undressed. A plinth comprising 2 courses of thin flags (H 0.2m) projecting (0.1m) from outer face of the W gable is traceable from the NW corner for 1.6m. A fragmented piece of dressed stone, lying loose at W end of church may be portion of a font (CL002-008008-).
The following images have been uploaded:
CL002-008002-_01.jpg Church from N
CL002-008002-_02.jpg E gable from ENE
CL002-008002-_03.jpg Church from S
CL002-008002-_04.jpg W gable from WSW
CL002-008002-_05.jpg S door
CL002-008002-_06.jpg Church interior from W
CL002-008002-_07.jpg Window at E end of S wall
Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Ros Ó Maoldúin
Date of upload: 1 December 2020
References
Swinfen, A. 1992 Forgotten stones: Ancient church sites of the Burren and environs. Dublin. Lilliput Press.
Westropp, T.J. 1900-02 The churches of Co. Clare and the origin of the ecclesiastical divisions in that county. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, Series 3, vol. 6, 100-180.
Nearby in the register
- Graveyardunder 1 mi
- Ecclesiastical enclosureunder 1 mi
- Stone sculptureunder 1 mi
- Middenunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.