Church

The National Monuments Service's description

On a narrow, well-sheltered terrace at the N-foot of a steeply rising, rocky terraced slope, overlooking the sea and the Aran Islands to the W. A souterrain (CL004-028002-) lies c. 30m to the W. Named ‘Crumlin Church (in ruins)’ on both the first (1842) and the later Cassini edition (1915) of the OS 6-inch map. Described by O’Donovan (1839) as ‘much injured by the tooth of time’, the church [est. dims. L 10.08m; Wth c. 5.66m] ‘was built by St. Columbkille after his expulsion from Aran, and not Killonahan’ (Comber 1997, 68). Then, the E-gable, the S-wall [L c. 6.09m] and the N-wall [L c. 3.35m] were still standing but the rest of the structure [i.e. W-gable wall end] was level with the ground. The N and S sidewalls [T c. 0.79m; H c. 3.65m] were built of ‘large stones with strong mortar’. A round headed window constructed of hammered stones remained in the S-wall and a round headed window constructed of chiselled stones in the E-gable was interpreted as a possible later insertion (ibid.).
Described by Westropp (1900, 131; 1901, 9) as potentially ‘tenth century’ and ‘attributed to St. Columba’.
According to Swinfen (1992, 120) ‘St Columba crossed to these islands to study at St Enda’s school. ‘… with scholars-belt and book-satchel, to learn divine wisdom.’ On his return, he put ashore on a rock below the church which, to this day, is called the ‘Saint’s Rock’. The church is described as an ‘oblong building with cyclopean masonry’ (ibid, 121).
Described by Large (2010) as a single cell structure (L 12.5m; Wth 7m) on high ground overlooking the sea. He also noted a pile of rubble just E of the church containing roughly dressed building stones and at least one architectural fragment – a dressed arch stone possibly from the church doorway?

A poorly preserved, ivy-clad, rectangular structure, aligned E-W (int. dims. L 10.4m; Wth 5.45m) is constructed from mainly undressed, roughly coursed blocks, with some larger, cyclopean masonry visible. The E-gable wall is almost complete and contains a narrow round headed window set in an arched splayed embrasure (int. Wth 1.5m). The NE-corner of the church is well-preserved and one corbel projects (0.15m) externally beyond the E-gable at roof level. However, in the SE-corner, only two corner stones are visible and the lower wall courses are overgrown. The S-wall (L 7m) is best preserved at its E-end and contains a narrow window (ext. Wth 0.15m: int. Wth 1.15m), the head of which is formed from a single, well-dressed stone and with similarly well-dressed stones forming the jambs, though some are robbed out and others have been plastered over. The window is set in an embrasure with well-dressed stones along the embrasure’s sides but smaller, cruder stones forming the arched embrasure head. A large structural crack runs through the embrasure. The W-end of the S-wall is very low and the SW-corner has been destroyed. The N-wall (L 3.4m) is best preserved near the corner with the E-gable-wall, although a modern wall has been built on some of its course. Only the lower courses of the W-gable wall only survive (H 1m).
Where the N and S wall have collapsed, the rubble core of the structure is visible and some plaster survives on the exterior of the N and E walls.

See attached images: CL004-028001-_1 Viewed from NE, note severe vertical crack.
CL004-028001-_2 Internal view from W

Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy and Lynda McCormack

Date of upload: 9 November 2022

References

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

Westropp, T.J 1901 Prehistoric remains in north-western Clare, part I. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 31, 1-17.

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

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.

Comber, M. (ed.) 1997 The antiquities of County Clare: John O’Donovan and Eugene Curry: Ordnance Survey Letters 1839. Clasp Press. Ennis.