Church

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on the highest point of Scattery Island on the SW perimeter of a natural circular esker (Wth c. 15-20m; H up to 2m) and c. 200m SW of the cathedral (CL067-024008-). Named ‘Knocknanangel’ the church is a single cell structure (int. dims. 14.55m E-W; 4.97m N-S; ext. dims. 16.28m E-W; 6.48m N-S) in very poor condition with only the foundations and lower courses of the W, N and E walls remaining. The S wall remains to a height of c. 2.2-3.9m and had a rubble core which is exposed in a number of places. It has very large stones and is described by Westropp (199-02, 170) as ‘of fine masonry, of unusual size’. There are two doorways in the S wall. One doorway (Wth 1.25m) towards the W end is reduced to its foundations. The second doorway (Wth 0.8m) with straight ingoings is towards the E end of the S wall. There is a window embrasure (Wth 1.05m) between the two doors but its window is robbed out. Cairn material outside this wall may be the remains of a structure attached to the E doorway but no ground plan could be made out. The N wall is reduced to its foundations except for a portion towards the E end. It had a centrally placed doorway (Wth 1.3m). A grass-covered platform (c. 9m N-S; 7.2m E-W) defined by low scarps may have been a structure related to the church. (Westropp 1897, 285-6) This is a national monument in state care, no. 10.

The following image has been uploaded:
CL067-024013-_01.jpg View of remains of Knocknanangel from NE.

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.

Westropp, T.J. 1897 Descriptive sketch of places visited. Part 1. Scattery Island and Canons' island, Co. Clare. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 27, 273-90.