Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Penitential station
Teevenacroaghy, County Mayo, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Teevenacroaghy
- County
- Mayo
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Leaght Mionnain
- Latest-edition OS map
- Leaght Mionnain
- Coordinates
- 53.75895, -9.65026
- SMR number
- MA087-045----
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
On the SE approach to the summit of Croagh Patrick. This penitential station/cairn is named ‘Leacht Mionnain’ on the 1838 and 1920 OS 6-inch maps, but is also known as Leacht Benen. It is the first station on the route of the traditional pilgrimage on Croagh Patrick. It consists of a low heap of stones. A cairn (MA087-046001-) is located 85m to E.
The 1838 OS Letters record that ‘The Pilgrim begins his Prayer at the heap of stones situated at the east base of that part of the mountain which rises up in the form of a cone…This heap is called Leacht Mionnain, or more properly Leacht Benain, i.e. the Monument of Saint Benignus …At this Leacht or Penitential Monument the Pilgrim repeats seven Paters, seven Aves and one Creed, and walks around the Leacht seven times…’ (O’Flanagan 1927, 239 (494-5)).
Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy
Date of upload: 19 March 2020
Nearby in the register
- Cairn - unclassifiedunder 1 mi
- Penitential stationunder 1 mi
- Churchunder 1 mi
- Enclosureunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.