Church

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.