Church

The National Monuments Service's description

National Monument No. 91. Within the ecclesiastical enclosure (LF021-048001-) on Inchcleraun, just to the NW of the centre, and one of four churches in the enclosure, see also ‘Templemurry’ (LA021-048006-) c. 18m to the ESE, ‘Templemore’ (LF021-048004-) and ‘Templedermot’ (LF021-48002-) c. 55m and c. 60m to the SE respectively. A fifth church, known as The Women's Church or Lady Church (LF021-048007-) is located outside the enclosure and is c. 120m to the S. A sixth church ‘Clogas’ (LF021-046----) is c. 380m to the NW. According to Hills (1860, 337), this church was so named because ‘corpses were formerly brought into it before interment'. He described its condition as 'the east wall remains nearly perfect, and there is a short return of the south wall, but otherwise the south, west and north walls are levelled to the ground (ibid., 338).
It consists of a small single-cell church (ext. dims. 7.2m E-W; 4.65m N-S; wall T 0.7-0.8m) constructed of roughly coursed limestone rubble. Apart from the E gable, all the other walls, which are four courses high, were rebuilt when repairs were carried out by the Board of Works in the late 19th century (51st Re. public works, Ire. 1882-3, 101). The only architectural feature is a late-medieval single-light pointed window with chamfered jambstones in the E gable. It is set into an earlier 12th-century round-headed window embrasure constructed with ashlar masonry. The church appears to be within a small slightly sunken area or enclosure defined by a shallow fosse or dip in the ground. Immediately to its W are low grass-covered wall-footings of a possible circular enclosure or structure. (Bigger 1900, 79, No. 4; Moore 2007, No. 13)

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 5 June 2013

This monument is subject to a preservation order made under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014 (PO no. 5/1981).

References

Hills, G. M. 1860 Innisclothran, and other island churches in Ireland. The Ecclesiologist vol. 21, no. CXLI, December, 331-40.

Moore, S. 2007 Archaeological monuments in County Longford. Longford. Longford County Council.

Bigger, F.J. 1900 Inis Chlothrann (Inis Cleraun) Lough Ree: its history and antiquities. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 30, 69-89.

51st Annual report from the Commissioners of Public Works in Ireland: with appendices, for the year 1882-3. Dublin.