Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Shrine
Inishcaltra Or Holy Island, County Clare, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Inishcaltra Or Holy Island
- County
- Clare
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Latest-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Coordinates
- 52.91573, -8.44796
- SMR number
- CL029-009134-
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
Situated c. 10m NW of the ‘Confessional’ (CL029-009017-) on Inis Cealtra. Traces of a small, timber, rectangular structure of similar dimensions to the confessional (c. 3m x2m) and aligned N-S were found during excavations on the island by de Paor in the 1970s (de Paor 2013, 39, 57). There were traces of a pillared portico at the S end. The structure was aligned within a rectangular palisaded enclosure (CL029-009135-), the S and larger portion of which was overlain by the medieval Saint’s Graveyard (CL029-009030-) and not excavated. The wooden structure and the enclosure appeared to have been rebuilt several times and the structure may have been replaced ultimately by the stone confessional. The structure was interpreted as a shrine of Christian origin but modelled on a type of shrine within an enclosure precinct known from Gallo-Roman and Romano-British contexts.
Compiled by: Mary Tunney
Date of upload: 4 November 2015
References
de Paor †, L. 2013 Inis Cealtra: Archaeological investigations of the monuments on the island. North Munster Antiquarian Journal 53, 27-78.
Nearby in the register
- Graveyardunder 1 mi
- Buildingunder 1 mi
- Graveslabunder 1 mi
- Cross-slabunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.