Church

The National Monuments Service's description

This church, named ‘Templenamarve’ on the OS 6-inch maps is on the E shore of Scattery Island, some 110m SE of the cathedral (CL067-024008-) and within a graveyard (CL067-024012-) that is just 5m from the exposed section of the shore. Described by Westropp (1900-02, 171) as late medieval, probably of the 15th century, the church (int. dims. 20.65m E-W; 5.72m N-S, ext. dims. 24m E-W; 7.3m N-S) consists of a single cell nave and chancel but there was a N aisle and a sacristy on the N side of the chancel which do not survive. The walls are composed of small facing stones (dims. c. 0.4m x 0.2m) with a rubble core rising to an internal string course (H 3.5m) and to a secondary parapet which is composed of much smaller stones.
The S wall has a doorway towards its W end. The head is rebuilt but was probably flat. The rear arch is flat (Wth 1.45m; H 2.1m) and there is a drawbar socket in the E jamb. 1.6m to the E is an area of damage (Wth 1.3m) that may have been an embrasure. Just E of this there is a pointed window embrasure (Wth 1.25m; H 2.1m) with a simple rectangular light. The W part of the embrasure is blocked up with a pillar of masonry (Wth 0.35m). 3m to the E there is a lancet window (Wth 0.48m; H 1.72m) with limestone surrounds but the head is of sandstone. There is a plain rectangular aumbry (Wth 0.55m; H 0.44m; D 0.41m) close to the S angle and buttresses at each end of the S wall externally. The buttresses rise in two steps with sloping upper surfaces.
The N wall has a round-headed doorway(Wth 1.28m; H 1.8m) towards the W end with a drawbar socket and latch stone in the E jamb. 6.25m E of the doorway is the first of two pointed arches (Wth 2.54m; H 2.8m) of undressed stone with a pier between them. The E arch is blocked with a stone projecting from the inner face of the wall which is a reused upper hinge stone from a doorway. 1.54m E of the E arch is a lintelled doorway to the sacristy at a lower level than the gravelled floor of the church.
The W doorway uses Old Red Sandstone and Dundry stone alternatively in its arch in a decorative fashion. Just 1.2m E of the door is the scar of a bonded wall (Wth 0.77m). This is the last remnant of the N aisle which presumably ran on into the sacristy at its E end. The E wall of the sacristy is bonded to the church and only 2.6m long with a lintelled embrasure (Wth 0.76m; H 1.25m) containing a simple light (Wth 0.26m; H 0.94m).
The E wall has a base batter, unlike the other walls. It has a twin-light lancet window missing its central mullion (total Wth of window 0.99m; H 2.62m). The embrasure is pointed with ingoings dressed with a triple roll-moulding. The embrasure is not centrally placed on the wall, being 1.26m from the E corner, and 1.82m from the W angle. This is reflected on the outside of the wall, where there are two attached decorative buttresses, which reflect those on the cathedral (CL067-023008-). The S buttress is aligned with the S wall, and looks like an antae, but the N buttress is back from the angle, so that the window appears to be centrally placed between the buttresses. The S buttress has a reused carved stone. The carving looks like two stone balls, or what the Spanish might call 'conjones', with a moulded border. The W wall is completely featureless. This is a National Monument in state care, no. 10.

The following image has been uploaded:
CL067-024010-_01.jpg View of Templenamarve and graveyard from the E.

Compiled by: Mary Tunney

Date of upload: 19 September 2016

This monument is subject to a preservation order made under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014 (PO no. 1/1971).

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.