Church

The National Monuments Service's description

On a SE-facing slope at the E end of the Carnfree ridge. Probably of early, or even Patrician origin, and identified as Domhnach Mor na Maighe Selga (FitzPatrick 2004, 66). It is not listed in the ecclesiastical taxation of Pope Nicholas in the early fourteenth century, which suggests that it may have been defunct then. However, this church property had probably become a cell of the Dominicans at Tulsk (RO022-114006-) after its foundation in 1448 since a quarter at Carns is listed as part of its possessions in 1591. The excavated church may date from this period and be the work of the Dominicans (Shanahan and McNeary 2009, 134)

Remote sensing has recovered evidence of an early bivallate enclosure (RO028-075009-) (ext. diam. c. 100m; int. diam. c. 75m) pre-dating the visible ecclesiastical enclosure (RO028-075004-) and within it. Inside the bivallate enclosure remote sensing recorded another enclosure (RO028-075010-) (diam. c. 50m), which itself is attached in a figure-of-eight to a smaller enclosure (diam. c. 25m) straddling its perimeter at NE. A section of the outermost ditch (Wth 3.3m; D 1.6m) of the bivallate enclosure was excavated at S. The church was a rectangular grass-covered mound which on excavation (int. dims. c. 13-14.5 E-W; 6.05m N-S) produced punch-dressed quoins dating from the 15th century or later, but the earliest church awaits discovery (Shanahan 2006, 6-9; 2009a, 455; Shanahan and McNeary 2009).

A later structure (RO028-075001-) (ext. dims 13.8m WNW-ESE; 7m NNE-SSW) immediately to the W of the church was defined by stone walls (Wth c. 1m; H 0.5m) with entrances at the centre of the N (Wth 1.2m) and S (Wth 1.7m) walls. On excavation (06E0655) this was shown to be of two construction phases and is identified as a possible priest's house. This structure is within a rectangular enclosure (RO028-075002-) (int. dims 42.3m E-W; 29.5m N-S) defined by earthen banks (Wth 2m; H 0.3-0.5m) which may have been a graveyard, and burials (RO028-075011-), both pre- and post-dating the church, were found inside and outside both structures. A number of neo-natal remains found in the area supports a local tradition that the structures continued in use as a childrens burial ground (RO028-075012-) after the church buildings were abandoned in the late sixteenth or seventeenth century. An ogham stone (RO028-075008-), which has been read by F. Moore as MAQI ORA[C)(E) S (A) .... W[A]NI (or E, B or S) was found in the demolition level of the structures and dates from the fifth or early sixth century (Shanahan 2007, 23-4). The stone is presently in the care of the landowner.

Excavation (06E0655) during 2007 of a mound c. 60m WNW of the church showed that it is a large structure (RO028-075014-) (dims c. 10m N-S; 8m plus E-W) defined by drystone walls that may have supported sill-beams, with an entrance at S. The interior was divided into a number of compartments, and the small finds would suggest that it may have been in use in the 10th to 12th century (Shanahan 2009a).

A second visible rectangular enclosure (RO028-075006-) (int. dims 33m N-S; c. 30m E-W) is attached to the N of the enclosure containing the priest's house, and it is bounded at N by the bank of the oval ecclesiastical enclosure (RO028-075004-) (dims 130m E-W; 88m N-S) that encloses the other features and is defined by an earth and stone bank best preserved at N (Wth 3m; max. int. H 0.8m; max. ext. H 1m) but frequently reduced to a scarp (H 0.2-0.5m) and largely removed N-E. Excavation (06E0655) of the perimeter at S revealed it is a drystone-built wall (Wth 2m). Outside the perimeter a charcoal-filled trench is interpreted as part of a corn-drying kiln (RO028-075013-) (Shanahan 2009a, 455). The ecclesiastical enclosure has an out-turned entrance (Wth 4m) at E with a rectangular platform (RO028-075007-) (dims 13m N-S; 18m E-W) inside the entrance to the N. A standing stone (RO028-075003-) (dims 0.4m x 0.4m at base; H 1.05m) aligned NW-SE is outside the SE angle of the church. Some field banks of the extensive field system (RO028-056001-) abut the perimeter of the ecclesiastical enclosure, and post-date it. (Shanahan 2006; Shanahan and McNeary 2009, 134)

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 15th September, 2010.

References

Shanahan, B. 2009a Carns. Church site, deserted settlement and field system, possibly prehistoric. In I. Bennett (ed.), Excavations 2006: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 455-6, No. 1715. Dublin. Wordwell.

Shanahan, B. and R. McNeary 2009 Carns townland, Co. Roscommon: excavations by the Medieval Rural Settlement Project in 2006. In C. Corlett and M. Potterton (eds.), Rural Settlement in medieval Ireland in the light of recent archaeological excavations, 125-37. Dublin. Wordwell.

Shanahan, B. 2007 Archaeological excavations at Carns, Co. Roscommon. Preliminary report. Discovery Programme. Unpublished report, National Monuments Service, Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. Licence no. 07E0769.

Shanahan, B. 2006 Recent research in Roscommon by the Discovery Programme's Medieval Rural Settlement Project. Bullitin of the Group for the Study of Historic Irish Settlement, No. 11, 1-9.

FitzPatrick, E. 2004 Royal inauguration in Gaelic Ireland c.1100-1600: a cultural landscape study. Studies in Celtic History 22. Woodbridge. The Boydell Press.