Church

The National Monuments Service's description

National Monument in state ownership No. 134. Situated on a shelf above the S shore of the Upper Lake, surrounded by steep cliffs and only approachable by boat. The most westerly of the churches at Glendalough; partly reconstructed in the twelfth century. A small single-celled rectangular structure (dims. 7.75m x 4.34m) with a twin-light window in the E gable (similar to St Saviour's) and a doorway with inclined granite jambs at the W which originally had a flat lintel. Two fragmentary Latin crosses and several plain graveslabs are located near the church. To the W is an associated platform where evidence of wattle huts connected by paved paths was found in an excavation conducted by Henry in 1956-8 (Long 1994, 253). The huts were apparently destroyed by an avalanche of slabs and a wooden house resting on a base of stones was subsequently built which had finds dating from the late twelfth to the late fourteenth or fifteenth century. A charcoal layer was noted here and other charcoal-burning platforms have since been identified in this area. (Leask 1950, 9-10, 40; Healy 1972, 2, 6, 94-5)

See attached screenshots of 3D model of Temple na Skellig created by The Discovery Programme. 3D model can be accessed at the following website: https://skfb.ly/Dssz

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Wicklow' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload: 17 December 2008

See linked document with plan taken from Robert Cochrane Historical and Descriptive Notes with Ground Plans, Elevations, Sections and Details of the Ecclesiastical Remains at Glendalough, Co. Wicklow. Extract from the Eightieth Annual Report of the Commissioners of Public Works in Ireland 1911-12. Dublin, 1925.

References

Healy, P. 1972 Supplementary survey of ancient monuments at Glendalough, Co. Wicklow. Unpublished OPW report.

Leask, H.G. 1950 Glendalough, Co. Wicklow: national monuments vested in the Commissioners of Public Works. Dublin. Stationery Office.

Long, H. 1994 Three settlements of gaelic Wicklow: Rathgall, Ballinacor and Glendalough. In K. Hannigan and W. Nolan (eds), Wicklow history and society, 237-65. Dublin. Geography Publications.