Church

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated in the centre of an ecclesiastical enclosure (CL010-087001-). Indicated and named ‘Templeline (in ruins)’ on the 1842 and 1920 eds. of the OS 6-inch map. Westropp (1900-1902) only briefly mentioned this ‘rudely built late church, all the features destroyed.’ Swinfen (1992, 134) recorded a local tradition maintaining that it ‘was used in penal times when, it is reputed, a priest was murdered nearby.’ It is a rectangular church (int. dims. 9.56m ENE-WSW; 4.65m NNW-SSE; ext. dims. 11.2m ENE-WSW; 6.5m NNW-SSE) defined by an overgrown and collapsed wall which is most intact and visible on the S side (Wth 0.78m; H 1.7m). Here the outer wall-face is built in courses of generally large, roughly dressed or undressed limestone blocks and slabs, bonded with a very gravelly mortar. There is no clear inner facing. The W outer wall-face (H 0.6-0.8m) survives up to three courses, but is largely covered by rubble (L 2m; H 1.2m) at the N. The N wall (Wth 1.1m; int. H 0.6m; ext. H 0.75m) has larger stones in its outer face, which is intact along almost its entire length despite its uppermost course leaning slightly outward. For several metres toward its E end the inner wall-face is overgrown/collapsed. The E wall (Wth c. 0.9m; H 0.3m) survives intermittently and several well-dressed blocks (H 0.4m) mark its S corner. The square-headed doorway (Wth 0.77m; H 1.4m) is near the W end of the S wall (Large 2011). It is lined by regular-shaped blocks, at least five of which are chamfered. The massive doorway lintel was repositioned by machinery which resulted in three stones at the top of its W side moving out of line. The church interior is mostly covered by collapsed and displaced masonry. Banks of earth and stone radiate from the church at the NE, SW and NW. There is a graveyard (CL010-087003-) immediately outside the S wall of the church.

Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Conn Herriott

Date of upload: 13 June 2023

References

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

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.