Shrine

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated in a graveyard (CL010-021003-) 5m SE of Templecronan Church (CL010-021002-). A gabled shrine, sometimes referred to as St. Cronan's grave, comprising two large slabs leaning inwards (N slab: L 1.69m; Wth 1.39m; T 0.05m; S slab: L 1.7m; Wth 1.43m; T 0.05m) enclosing a rectangular internal area of 1.3m by 0.92m. The S slab is broken at the top. Triangular slabs form the E and W ends. The W endstone (Wth 1.33m at base; 0.36m at top; H 1.52m) is slightly higher that the E endstone which is broken at the top. A second slab shrine (CL010-021011-) lies immediately outside the graveyard to the E. Shrines of this nature are ‘generally dated to the 7th century’ (Sheehan 1982, 40) and were probably designed to house the exhumed corporeal relics of notable ecclesiastics. These shrines are therefore likely to be much older than the church which is of 12th century date.

The following photographs are uploaded:
CL010-021010-_01.jpg Gabled shrine from SE with Temple Cronan (CL010-021002-) in the background.
CL010-021010-_02.jpg Gabled shrine from SE.

Compiled by: Mary Tunney

Date of upload: 19 October 2016

References

Sheehan, J. 1982 The early historic church-sites of North Clare. North Munster Antiquarian Journal 24, 29-47.

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