Church

The National Monuments Service's description

This is the site of an early church which was reputedly founded by St Beo Aodh or Beoaidh in the 6th century. Little is known of this saint but the genealogists attach him to the Corca Laoighde of south Munster, and he may be identical with the Beoaidh of the church (LE018-037----) on Inchmagrath Island in Lough Allen (Ó Riain 2011, 103). Nothing is known of its history thereafter, but it was important enough to be made a diocesan centre between the synods of Rathbrassil (AD 1111) and Kells (AD 1152), and an erenagh is mentioned in 1240 (Tonra 1998, 55). In the later middle ages it was also the parish church of Ardcarn (RO006-103001-).
Its precise location is uncertain but was generally on the NE-facing slope of Ardcarn Hill, surrounded by the earthworks of the deserted settlement (RO006-103007-). The site of the nunnery (RO006-103003-) is at the bottom of this slope c. 150m to the SE of the present Church of Ireland church. The early church may have been situated in the new graveyard on a steep NE-facing slope of Ardcarn Hill, which is described as the site of Templemihil only on the 1914 ed. of the OS 6-inch map, where a small cross-inscribed pillar (RO006-103006-) (H 0.55m; 0.1-0.17m x 0.1m) is situated (Herity et al. 1997, 114). A second cross-inscribed stone (RO006-103020-) identified in this graveyard by Mary B. Timoney in 2015. A third cross-inscribed stone (RO006-103019-) is just S of the E end of the present church in the old graveyard. (Weld 1832,245-6; O'Flanagan 1931,90-91; D'Alton 1845,93-6; Gwynn and Hadcock 1988, 29; Tonra 1998)

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of revision: 22 May, 2015

References

Mulhall, J. 1907-09 Ardcarn Churchyard. Journal of the Association for the Preservation of the Memorials of the Dead, Ireland, vol. 7, 453-4.

O'Flanagan, Rev. M. (Compiler) 1931 Letters containing information relative to the antiquities of the county of Roscommon collected during the progress of the
Ordnance Survey in 1837. Bray.

Ó Riain, P. 2011 A dictionary of Irish Saints. Dublin. Four Courts Press.

Weld, I. 1832 Statistical survey of the county Roscommon. Dublin, Royal Dublin Society

Tonra, H. 1998 Ardcarne. Journal of the Roscommon Historical and Archaeological Society 7, 55-7.

Mac Dermot, D. 1996 Mac Dermot of Moylurg: the story of a Connacht family. Manorhamilton. Drumlin.

Gwynn, A. and Hadcock, R.N. 1970 (Reprint 1988) Medieval religious houses of Ireland. Dublin. Irish Academic Press.

D'Alton, J. 1845 The history of Ireland: from the earliest period to the year 1245. 2 vol. Dublin, Author.

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