Ecclesiastical enclosure

The National Monuments Service's description

National Monument No. 10001. Illaunloughan/Oileán Lócháin (KE087-036017-) is a small, low-lying island located in Portmagee Channel, c. 120m from the mainland at S and c. 400m WNW of Portmagee (Port Mhic Aoidh) village. The island stands in the civil parish of Killemlagh (Cill Imleach), in the barony of Iveragh (Uíbh Ráthach). Its habitable surface measures a maximum of 26m N-S x 50m E-W, and is c. 0.1ha in area. During certain low tides it can be reached on foot from the mainland. According to Marshall and Walsh (1998, 102) 'There is no historical documentation for the island, and the origin of its name is uncertain. Lochán may be the name of a saint associated with the island, a theory supported by the mention of two Lochans in the Martyrology of Oengus, written c. AD 800 (Stokes 1984, 255, 263) and by the inland location of Killoughane (Cill Lócháin) ecclesiastical site [KE065-058001-] at the eastern end of the Iveragh peninsula (O'Sullivan and Sheehan 1996, 357). Alternatively the island name may be derived from the island of the chaff. Four seasons of archaeological work, carried out from 1992 to 1995, have completed the excavation of about 70 per cent of the island.
The following report mainly describes the monastic features and structures visible on the island before excavation. These comprise an oratory (KE087-036008-), a leacht (KE087-036004-), gable-shrine (KE087-036006-), a hut (KE087-036005-) and a well (KE087-036002-). In addition, about fifty upright slabs occur on the island, particularly at its W side where they tend to occur in regular rows. Illaunloughan is noted in the OSNB as 'a burial place for children (KE087-036019-) and adult strangers (KE087-036003-)' (Killemlagh, 55), and these slabs probably relate to such use. The remains of a curving drystrone wall to the N of four hut sites (KE087-036005/013/014/015-) represents the upstanding remains of the monastic cashel which enclosed the monastery of Illaunloughan.
Oratory (KE087-036008-): The foundations of this drystone structure are located close to the E edge of the island and measure 3.4m E-W x 2.1m N-S internally. The walls, constructed of horizontally laid slabs, have rounded external angles and vary from 1m to 1.4m thick. They are preserved to an external height of 0.45m. A 0.9m wide doorway is located at W, and a number of threshold slabs are preserved in situ at its base. There are several upright slabs in the interior of the building, and a row of orthostats stands 1.2m SE of it. Excavation revealed that the oratory overlay a leacht on its N side and was preceded by two sod-built structures, possibly oratories, at E. A radiocarbon date of 640-790 AD was derived from a context overlying the clay floor of the stone oratory.
Leacht and Gable-Shrine (KE087-036006-): These are located close to the NE edge of the island. The leacht survives as a rectangular terraced platform of earth and stone, 8.5m E-W x 7m N-S, which averaged 0.85m high before excavation. It is retained at S and W by a series of slabs set on end, a number of which incline outwards. A 0.9m wide stepped entrance feature occurs at W, and excavation revealed that this ascends to a rectangular drystone structure on which stands the poorly preserved gable-shrine. The latter consists of the two slate slabs which formed its sides; these average 1.3m x 1.1m, and the top of the N example had slipped down to S, slightly displacing the second. A number of semicircular notches occur on the upper edges of both slabs. The interior of the shrine was littered with stone, including some quartz. Excavation revealed that the shrine covered two small cists which contained exhumed human bones, scallop shells and quartz pebbles. A number of graves underlay the leacht.
Circular hut (KE087-036014-): This hut is located near the SW end of the island, close to the end of a 2m high ridge, largely natural, that traverses its W end. The well-built, dry-stone, corbelled hut measures 4.4m internally and features a 0.9m wide entrance at E. The walls are up to 1.8m thick and stand up to 1.8m high. Excavation revealed that the floor of the hut lay below external ground level.
The face of a midden deposit (KE087-036007-), which consists largely of shells, bones and charcoal, was exposed at the island's edge just SE of the hut. It was at least 3m long and was overlain for some of its length by a drystone wall, 0.8m high, which extended to W for c. 6m. Charcoal from the midden yielded an eleventh-century radiocarbon date (Marshall, Rourke and Berger, forthcoming). A range of artefacts, including fragments of an antler comb, bone beads and two bronze ring-brooches were discovered in the midden material during excavation. Evidence for a circular timber hut was revealed beneath the midden.
Well (KE087-036002-): This stone-lined well, roofed by a large lintel, is reached by five descending steps. It appears to be spring-fed, and is located midway between the oratory and the circular hut. It was misinterpreted by Henry as a souterrain (1957, 98).

This monument is subject to a preservation order made under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014 (PO no. 1/1998).

See attached plan showing the monastic enclosure wall to N of the four hut sites, taken from Marshall and Walsh 1998, Fig. 11.5 and Fig. 11.2 showing excavated areas

The above description is derived from A. O'Sullivan and J. Sheehan (compilers), 'The Iveragh peninsula: an archaeological survey of South Kerry'. Cork University Press (1996), no. 964. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Revised by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of revised upload: 30 March 2022

References

Stokes, W. 1905 The Martyrology of Oengus the Culdee. London.

Henry, F. 1957 Early Monasteries, Beehive Huts, and Dry-Stone Houses in the Neighbourhood of Caherciveen and Waterville (Co. Kerry). Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 58C, 45-166.

Marshall, J. W. and Walsh, C. 1998 Illaunloughan, Co. Kerry: an island hermitage. In M. Monk and J. Sheehan (eds), Early medieval Munster: archaeology, history and society, 102-11. Cork University Press.

OSNB - Ordnance Survey Name Books. Pro-forma books arranged by Civil Parish for recording townland and other name-forms and compiled in the course of the OS 6-inch survey 1824-1841. The name books also include minor names and incidental references to antiquities. National Archives of Ireland.

O'Sullivan, A. and Sheehan, J. 1996 The Iveragh peninsula: an archaeological survey of South Kerry. Cork University press.