Church

The National Monuments Service's description

At the SE end of a large fertile valley at the N foot of Turlough Hill within an enclosure (CL003-032001-) and a larger outer enclosure (CL003-032007-) and named ‘Oughtmama church (in ruins)’ on the 1840 and 1915 OS 6-inch maps. This is the largest and most westerly of three churches at Oughtmama (see CL003-032003- and CL003-032004-) forming part of an early monastic settlement. Three saints Colman are noted as being associated (Hogan 1910, 660). The church comprises a nave (int. dims. 14.25m E-W; 6.6m N-S) and chancel (int. dims. 6.3m E-W; 5.3m N-S) built of large rectangular blocks laid in gently undulating courses. The church is entered through a trabeate doorway (Wth at base 1m; Wth at top 0.8m; H 1.93m) in the W wall. This wall also has undecorated projecting antae. The N wall is featureless while the S wall is lit by two narrow round-headed windows with splayed ingoings, one at either end. A Romanesque chancel arch (H c. 4m; Wth 3.1m) separates the nave from the chancel. According to O’Keeffe (2003, 51-2) the arch is ‘not easily dated since its ‘simplicity’ could be taken to indicate an early or a late date and that problem is not helped by the fact that the wall in which it originally belonged was substantially rebuilt.’ He recommends a later 12th-century date. The E wall of the chancel (surviving H 2m) had a narrow rectangular window, the top of which lies nearby. The S wall survives to a similar height and has the base of a rectangular window at its E end. A stoup, portraying two animals with intertwined necks is set into the wall in the internal corner where the S wall meets the W gable. Beneath it is a rectangular stone font (CL003-032014-). A second church (CL003-032001-) lies 9.5m to the E. All of the churches at Oughtmama are national monuments in State Care, no. 12. (Swan 1991, 106-8; Swinfen 1992, 102-5)

The following images have been uploaded:
CL003-032002-_01.jpg Aerial view of the churches at Oughtmama from NW.
CL003-032002-_02.jpg Aerial view of the three churches at Oughtmama from NE.
CL003-032002-_03.jpg The largest church from NW with CL003-032003- in the background.
CL003-032002-_04.jpg The largest church at Oughtmama from NE.
CL003-032002-_05.jpg The animal carving on the stoup within the church.

Compiled by: Mary Tunney

Date of upload: 13 February 2018

References

Large, S. 2011 A church and graveyard survey in County Clare. Database and photographic record. Clare County Council. Clare Heritage Forum. The Heritage Council.

Swinfen, A. 1992 Forgotten stones: Ancient church sites of the Burren and environs. Dublin. Lilliput Press.

O'Keeffe, T. 2003 Romanesque Ireland. Architecture and ideology in the twelfth century. Dublin. Four Courts Press.

Swan, D.L. 1991 The churches, monasteries and burial grounds of the Burren. In J. W. O'Connell and A. Korff (eds.), The book of the Burren, 95-118. Tír Eolas, Newtownlynch, Kinvara, Co. Galway.