Church

The National Monuments Service's description

In the SE sector of an ecclesiastical enclosure (CL005-108002-), SW of centre in a rectangular graveyard (CL005-108004-) and within a field system (CL005-108001-). Indicated and named ‘Killeany Church (in ruins)’ on the 1842 and 1916 eds. of the OS 6-inch maps. A church was reputedly founded here by the 5th-century Enda (Éinne) of Aran (Westropp 1900, 108), so the present church may sit on an earlier foundation. St Éinne is said to have punished the monks at Killeany for not paying enough attention to their religious duties by banishing the fish from a nearby stream (Swinfen 1992, 50).

A well-preserved rectangular WNW-ESE orientated church (ext. L 20.6m), comprising a nave (L 10.4m; Wth 6.4m) and chancel (int. L 6m; Wth 5.35), divided by a chancel arch (Wth 1.1m; Wth of wall of archway 3.6m). The walls of the church (Wth 1.1m at doorway) stand to their original height and are built of roughly squared and coursed limestone blocks on the inner wall-face with larger, rougher masonry on the outer wall-face and with architectural features defined by well-dressed stones. The older stonework is of notably larger blocks. A projecting buttress supports the chancel-arch from the exterior of the S wall.

The nave is entered through a robbed-out doorway in the S wall (Wth now 2.1m; H 2.1m), but with jamb and arch stones surviving on the W side of the inner wall-face. The W gable is lit by a pointed, almost ogee-headed window in a flat-headed embrasure over a narrow slit window and three corbels project from the inner wall-face c. 1m above the internal ground level. The chancel-arch is pointed in style and built from well-dressed stone but is poorly built and the joints are opening up as the wall spreads apart. The N wall has a rectangular ope (Wth 0.3m; H 0.2m; D 0.4m) at the E end with a flagstone base which inclines towards the exterior. The S wall of the nave is lit by two narrow, almost ogee-headed windows set in well-dressed, round-arched embrasures. The N and S walls are set back on a plinth internally.

The E gable is lit by a narrow, round-headed window in a well-dressed round-arched embrasure with light rolled hood moulding and heavier chamfered moulding defining its sill and the lower parts of its jambs externally. There is one piece of decorative knotwork on the exterior adjacent to the hood moulding. An altar tomb (L 1.8m Wth 0.9m; H 0.8m) stands beneath the window. A broken corbel projecting from the wall face (H 0.8m) may be a remnant of a stoup. An older gable line is visible c. 1.5m below the current height. The S wall of the chancel is lit by a narrow almost ogee-headed window and there is an aumbry (Wth 0.6m; H 0.35m; D 0.35m) at corner of the S wall and E gable.

Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Ros Ó Maoldúin

Date of upload: 15 March 2023

References

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.

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.