Church

The National Monuments Service's description

Medieval parish church of Castleisland (Oileán Ciarraí), in the diocese of Ardfert, barony of Trughanacmy was listed as 'Church de Insula' [Church of the Island] in the 1302-07 papal taxation of the Deanery of Hac [nye], diocese of Ardfert, where the church was valued at 20s. per annum with the tithe valued at 2s. (cal. doc. Ire. 5, 296). In 1307 'Maurice O'Laghtnan, parson of the Island in Kerry, complains of Henry de Capella, formerly seneschal of the lands of John son of Thomas, in Okonyl and Kerry, that Henry, when he was seneschal, directed Maurice, who was receiver of John's rents in Kerry, that Maurice should send to Henry all the rent of the lands of Kerry, of the term of Easter a. r. xxx. And Henry undertook by his letter to acquit Maurice on his account, for all money which he should send him. By virtue of which mandate Maurice gave Henrv 20l., for which Henry has not acquitted him. By which, Maurice, for default of acquittance, was charged on his account and arrested, to his damage of 10l. And Henry comes and cannot deny it. Therefore it is adjudged that Maurice recover against him the 20l., and his damages, taxed by the Court at 100s., and Henry in mercy' (Cal. justic. rolls, Ire. Edw. I., 452). In 1421 there is a reference to Thaddeus O'Carran who was appointed to the parish church of Castle Island (parrochialis ecclesiae Castri Insulae) which was vacant after the death of the curate, Richard Slabach [Slebach]' (O'Connell and Costello 1958, 3).
Two churches are depicted standing in the N quadrant of Castleisland graveyard on the 1841 ed. OSi 6-inch map. Only the C. of I. church dedicated to St. Stephen is depicted on the revised editions of the OSi maps. The W tower of the ruins of St. Stephen's church represents the remains of the medieval church of Castleisland which was dedicated to St Nicholas (Cal. papal letters, 1452, 518). In 1452 a papal letter was sent to 'Maurice [Macconcubaiar/O'Connor], elect of Ardfert. Provision to him, rector of St. Nicholas's, Castleisland (de Castro insule), in the diocese of Ardfert, I.U.B., in minor orders, of the church of the church of Ardfert, void by the death of Maurice, during whose life it was specially reserved by the present pope' (ibid.).
According to Lewis (1837, 288) St. Stephen's C. of I. church consisted of; 'the nave of a former structure, with the belfry thickly covered with ivy; there is a neat mural monument to some of the Meridiths of Dicksgrove and on the south side of the exterior is a small sculptured head [KE040-027001-] supposed to represent that of St, Nicholas, probably the patron saint. The edifice has been thoroughly repaired, for which purpose the Ecclesiastical Commisioners granted £290'.
In 1841 the Ordnance Survey described the medieval church ruins as follows; 'A small portion of the original church of Castle-Island still remains attached to the west end of the modern church [St. Stephen's Church], but it is impossible to tell what part of it, it is. It measures on the inside sixteen feet seven inches [5m], from east to west and 21 feet two and a half inches [6.47m] in the other direction and its walls are 14 feet [4.26m] high, and two feet six inches [0.76m] in thickness and built of limestone sand lime and sand mortar. Its west gable is surmounted with a small belfry of two circular arches, in the more northern of which the modern bell is suspended. Under this belfry is a window which is divided on the outside into four lights formed of cut limestone. There is a pointed doorway an the south wall recently repaired, and there is a quadrangular window on the same wall' (O'Donovan 1983, 118).

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 21 April 2022

References

O'Connell, J. and Costello, M.A. 1958 Obligationes pro Annatis Diocesis Ardfertensis. Archivium Hibernicum, 21, 1-51.

Cal. justic. rolls, Ire. Edw. I - Calendar of the justiciary rolls, or proceedings in the court of the justiciar of Ireland preserved in the Public Record Office of Ireland. 1: 23-31 Edw. I, 1295-1307; 2: 33-35 Edw. I, 1305-7, ed. J. Mills (2 vols., Dublin, 1905, 1914)

Cal. papal letters - Calendar of entries in the papal registers relating to Great Britain and Ireland: papal letters, 1198-1484 [etc.] (London, 1893-)

Cal. doc. Ire. - Calendar of documents relating to Ireland 1171-1307, ed. H.S. Sweetman (5 vols., London, 1875-86).

Lewis, S. 1837 A topographical dictionary of Ireland, 2 vols. London. Lewis and Co.

O'Donovan, J. 1983 The antiquities of the county of Kerry. Cork. Royal Carbery Books.