Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
House - 18th/19th century
Inishcaltra Or Holy Island, County Clare, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Inishcaltra Or Holy Island
- County
- Clare
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Indicated
- Latest-edition OS map
- Indicated
- Coordinates
- 52.91607, -8.44748
- SMR number
- CL029-009031-
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 4 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1790 "Composite: Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
Near the E shore of Inis Cealtra in Lough Derg c. 40m NE of the ‘Saint’s Graveyard’ (CL029-009030-). The foundations of a small two-roomed building excavated by de Paor in 1970 (Licence no. E000180, report 2, Area 2, 49-51). Described by Macalister (1916-17, 140) as a structure (34ft (10.3m) by 18ft (5.4m)) of drystone masonry, very roughly built (wall T 2ft 6in (0.76m); H 3ft (0.91m)) with a central chimney and back-to-back fireplaces. In spite of being cleared out by the Board of Works in 1879-80 it was clear that the floor had sloped steeply. The interior of the cottage and a small area around it was excavated. Finds were few and seemed to relate to the occupation of the building. Two fragments of querns were found inside, one to the W of the fireplace and one near the SE corner. A whetstone was found E of the chimney. Once the building had fallen into ruin it was used as a rubbish dump. This was referred to as a church at one time but that may have been in an effort to increase the number of churches on the island to seven (Macalister 1916-17, 140-41). Macalister also suggests that this is the ‘one house’ mentioned in an early 17th-century report by a Bishop Rider but on the basis of the few finds from excavation de Paor estimates a mid-18th century date. On inspection in 2016 this area was found to be completely overgrown and inaccessible. (de Paor 2013, 28, 30-31)
Compiled by: Mary Tunney
Date of upload: 27 June 2016
References
de Paor †, L. 2013 Inis Cealtra: Archaeological investigations of the monuments on the island. North Munster Antiquarian Journal 53, 27-78.
Macalister, R.A.S 1916-17 The history and antiquities of Inis Cealtra. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, 33C, 93-174.
de Paor, L. 1997 Inis Cealtra: report on archaeological and other investigations of the monuments on the island. E000180. Unpublished excavation report submitted to the National Monuments service, Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Dublin.
Nearby in the register
- Penitential stationunder 1 mi
- Enclosureunder 1 mi
- Enclosureunder 1 mi
- Slipwayunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.