Church

The National Monuments Service's description

Within the ecclesiastical enclosure (GA113-139002-) at Kiltiernan. This church, a National Monument, is a two-period pre-Romanesque nave and chancel church in fair condition. Little is known of its history or founder but Fahey (1893, 94, 410-1) records a local tradition that this site was a daughter house of Kilmacduagh (see GA128-034001-). The nave (E-W: L 8.3m; Wth 4.35m), which is the original church with antae and a fine trabeate doorway in the W gable, is constructed of mortared limestone masonry with a rubble core; some very large squared blocks or slabs (L 1-1.7m) are visible in its lower courses. The W gable still survives almost to its full height whereas only the lower courses of the N and S side-walls survive. The latter contains a small triangular-headed window. The chancel (L 5.4m, Wth 4.35m) was added following the demolition of the E gable of the original church and the subsequent extension of its side-walls. Its fabric, though similar to that of nave, is of inferior workmanship and, again, only its lower courses now survive. Duignan's excavations (1951, 74) revealed that the original church overlay part of the ‘monastic cemetery’ (GA103-139004-), leading him to conclude that it replaced an earlier church 'still to be discovered'. (Westropp 1919, 178; Leask 1955, 52-3, 67; Waddell and Clyne 1995, 149-203)

Compiled by: Galway Archaeological Survey, UCG

Date of upload: 8 February 2018

This monument was taken into Guardianship under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014 - National Monument 446.

References

Duignan, M.V. 1951 Miscellanea: early monastic site, Kiltiernan East townland, Co. Galway; O.S. Sheet 103 (6" scale). Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 81, 73-5.

Fahey, J.A. 1893 (Reprint 1986) The history and antiquities of the diocese of Kilmacduagh. Galway. Kenny Gallery.

Leask, H.G. 1955 (Reprint 1977 and 1987) Irish churches and monastic buildings, vol. I. The first phases of the Romanesque. Dundalk. Dundalgan Press.

Waddell, J., Fenwick, J. and Barton, K. 2009 Rathcroghan: archaeological and geophysical survey in a ritual landscape. Dublin. Wordwell.

Westropp, T.J. 1919a Notes on several forts in Dunkellin and other parts of southern Co. Galway. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 49, 167-86.