Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Ecclesiastical enclosure
Kilshannig, County Kerry, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Kilshannig
- County
- Kerry
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Kilshannig
- Latest-edition OS map
- Kilshannig
- Coordinates
- 52.31017, -10.01641
- SMR number
- KE027-002004-
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 4 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1753 "Mappa geographica Regni Hiberniae" (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
Kilshannig (Cill Seanaigh/church of Seanach) Church and Graveyard: This site lies near the shoreline on the E side of Scraggane Bay, at the tip of the Magharees Peninsula. It is traditionally associated with St. Senach, as is the early church site on nearby Illauntannig (KE019-002001-), and the present irregularly-shaped graveyard may enclose the site of an Early Christian foundation. However, the cross-slab that stands within the church is the only visible remnant of the latter. About 350m along the seashore to N, there is a large boulder, Cloch an Turais, which was formerly a place of pilgrimage on Good Fridays (An Seabhac 1939, 267).
Church (KE027-002001-): There was a parish church here by 1302 (Cal Docs Ire, V, 295) but in 1473 it had 'long been void' (Cal Pap Reg, 13, 336).
Cross-slab (KE027-002003-): Stands directly W of the doorway but formerly occupied the NW corner of the church (Henry 1937, 275) and its original position is not known. The stone stands 1.42m tall and is a maximum of 0.42m wide and 0.26m thick. Both faces are inscribed with Latin crosses with expanded terminals. The cross on the S face terminates with a spiral elaboration at its base, and a little crescent or loop, to right of the head of the cross, represents the chi-rho symbol. Part of the W side and top of the stone have broken away and the head and right arm of the cross on the N face are missing.
The above description is derived from J. Cuppage, ‘Corca Dhuibhne. Dingle Peninsula archaeological survey. Ballyferriter. Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne’ (1986), no. 858. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.
Date of upload: 8 August 2013
References
Henry, F. 1937 Early Christian Slabs and Pillar Stones in the West of Ireland. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 67, 275-9.
Seabhac, An. 1939 Triocha-Céad Chorca Dhuibhne. Dublin.
Cuppage, J. 1986 Corca Dhuibhne. Dingle Peninsula archaeological survey. Ballyferriter. Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne.
Cal. doc. Ire. - Calendar of documents relating to Ireland 1171-1307, ed. H.S. Sweetman (5 vols., London, 1875-86).
Nearby in the register
- Graveyardunder 1 mi
- Hut siteunder 1 mi
- Churchunder 1 mi
- Cross-slabunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.