Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Church
Emlagh (castlereagh By., Castlereagh Ed), County Roscommon, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Emlagh (castlereagh By., Castlereagh Ed)
- County
- Roscommon
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Latest-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Coordinates
- 53.74541, -8.45710
- SMR number
- RO027-034001-
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 1790 "Composite: Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
This is an early ecclesiastical site associated with St Brocaidh of Imleach, a putative nephew of St Patrick (Ó Riain 2011, 126-7). The death of abbot Dumhgnasach is recorded in 757 (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 383). The church is listed as Imletford in the ecclesiastical taxation of Elphin in 1306 (Cal. doc. Ire., Vol. 5, 224), and it is situated on the crest of a low NW-SE drumlin ridge. The graveyard (RO027-034002-) was destroyed in 1837 by the construction of a NW-SE road and nothing of it remains, but the church (RO027-034001-) is reputed to have been on the N side of the road (Connellan 1948-9, 142-3). There may have been an enclosure (Timoney 1990, 15), which is not visible now.
The base of a cross (RO027-034004-) is almost buried in the road bank on the N side, and about 50m E of the graveyard site is a collection of six high cross-fragments (RO027-034006-; RO027-034007-; RO027-034008-; RO027-034008-; RO027-034009-; RO027-034010-) set into a plinth, representing perhaps three crosses (Harbison 1992, vol. 1, 86-7), one being set in a cross-base (RO027-034005-). St Brocaidh's Well or Emlagh Well (RO027-033----) is c. 220m to the N. Archaeological testing (05E1259) c. 50m to the S of the crosses failed to produce any related material (Purcell, J. 2008).
Compiled by: Michael Moore
Date of upload: 24 August 2010
References
Ó Riain, P. 2011 A dictionary of Irish Saints. Dublin. Four Courts Press.
Purcell, J. 2008 Emlagh. No archaeological significance. In I. Bennett (ed.), Excavations 2005: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 325, No. 1333. Dublin. Wordwell.
Connellan, Rev. M.J. 1948-9 St Brocaidh of Imliuch Brocadha. Journal of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society 23, 138-46.
Gwynn, A. and Hadcock, R.N. 1970 (Reprint 1988) Medieval religious houses of Ireland. Dublin. Irish Academic Press.
Cal. doc. Ire. - Calendar of documents relating to Ireland 1171-1307, ed. H.S. Sweetman (5 vols., London, 1875-86).
Harbison, P. 1992 The high crosses of Ireland: an iconographical and photographic survey, 3 vols. Dublin. Royal Irish Academy. Bonn. Dr. Rudolf Habelt GMBH.
Timoney, M. A. 1990 The changing landscape around Tarmon, Co. Roscommon. In M. Lavin (ed.) Tarmon National School Centenary 1890-1990, 13-16.
Nearby in the register
- Graveyardunder 1 mi
- Crossunder 1 mi
- Crossunder 1 mi
- Cross - High crossunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.