Clochan

The National Monuments Service's description

This clochan or beehive hut is built against the E wall of the enclosure (GA021-026021-) surrounding the church (GA021-026014-) on High Island. Prior to excavations from the mid-1990s (Scally 2014) the lower part of its exterior and the ground surface in its vicinity were obscured by grass-covered rubble. Following excavations and conservation, it is now an impressive drystone building, which Scally (ibid., 42-3, 95-101, 302-3) describes as being almost square in plan internally (2.8m E-W; 2.7-2.8m N-S) with angular corners. Externally it is roughly rectangular in plan but with curving corners giving it a rounded shape. The walls range in width from 1.5m to 1.7m, apart from the W wall which is 0.6m wide. The maximum internal height is 2.8m and the walls are corbelled above 0.8m. Below this height the walls are constructed of large rectangular boulders; above it the masonry consists of smaller stones. Access is via a low splayed doorway in the centre of the E wall. The innermost lintel of the three that survived in situ over it is a reused cross-slab (GA021-026048-). The N jambstone is possibly another reused cross-slab (GA021-026080-) and a third broken cross-slab (GA021-026055-) was reused in the paved floor. Possible wall cupboards were noted in the W and N walls. Beneath the floor evidence of a smithing hearth was uncovered. Radio-carbon dating indicates that the metal-working activities associated with it date to sometime between the late 9th and early 11th century, pre-dating the clochan. Scally (ibid., 311-12) suggests that the clochan was built in the in the mid- to late 11th century. It may have been a communal building where food was prepared and consumed. (Healy 1890, 673-86; Macalister 1896, 197-210; Herity 1977, 52-69; White Marshall and Rourke 2000, 132-6)

Compiled by: Olive Alcock

Date of upload: 11 December 2015

This monument was taken into Ownership under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014 - National Monument 52.

The following images have been uploaded:
GA021-026013-_01.jpg General view from E
GA021-026013-_02.jpg Clochan from E
GA021-026013-_03.jpg View from WNW
GA021-026013-_04.jpg Corbelling
Ga021-026013-_05.jpg Internal view of corbelling

References

Herity, M. 1977 The High Island hermitage. Irish University Review, Spring, 52-68.

Scally, G. 2014 High Island (Ardoileán), Co. Galway: excavation of an early medieval monastery. Archaeological Monograph Series 10. Dublin. The Stationery Office.

White Marshall, J. and Rourke, G.D. 2000 High Island: an Irish monastery in the Atlantic. Dublin. Town House and Country House.

Healy, W. 1874-9 Notices of ecclesiastical ruins. Ossary Archaeological Transactions 1, 41-56.