Leacht

The National Monuments Service's description

At the SE end of Árainn/Inishmore in a large graveyard (GA119-020003-) in an area of shifting sands; associated with ‘Teaghlach Éinne’ (GA119-020001-). Named 'St. Eany's Grave' but not indicated on the OS 6-inch maps. It was most likely a leacht and was probably similar in construction to those which survive on Inis Meáin (see GA119-081002-) and Inis Óirr (see GA120-002007-, GA120-002008- and GA120-002009-). O’Flaherty recorded in 1684 that the stone laid over the grave was still to be seen but that by the mid-19th century it, together with the graves of 120 saints that were located to the NE of the church, was buried in the sand (O’Flanagan 1927, Vol. 3, 348-9, 351). No visible surface trace survives. However, during the course of excavations at the church in 1984 a setting of slabs, possibly marking a grave, was uncovered on the N side of the church. This feature may be one of the graves on the edge of the ancient graveyard (Manning 1985, 111).

Compiled by: Olive Alcock

Date of upload: 4 February 2016

References

O'Flanagan, Rev. M. (Compiler) 1927 Letters containing information relative to the antiquities of the county of Galway collected during the progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1839. Typescript in 3 vols. Bray.

Manning, C. 1985c Archaeological excavations at two church sites on Inishmore, Aran Islands. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 115, 96-120.