Building

The National Monuments Service's description

The monastery on the island of Inchbofin [Inis Bó Finne), in Lough Ree, Co. Westmeath was founded by Moríog also known as St. Ríog/Ríoch or Doríog in the 5th century (Harbison 1970, 243; Ó Riain 2011, 497). Moríog was a nephew of St. Patrick and one of seven sons of Restitutus (Rhystud) of the Maca Baird (Lombards) and brother to Meal of Ardagh (Ó Riain 2011, 497). His feast day fell on the 1st of August.
It has been suggested that in the late medieval period the monastery was occupied by the Canons Regular of St. Augustine, and it was probably this order which made the additions to the abbey church at Inchbofin (De Paor 1962, 187). However no documentary evidence for the presence of Augustinians on this Island has been found to support this claim (Gwynn & Hadcock 1970, 37).
At the NE corner of this small island, are the ruins of a multi-period church known as Inchbofin [Inisbofin] "Abbey" (WM015-001----; National Monument No. 213) and graveyard (WM015-001001-) standing in the E quadrant of a monastic enclosure or cashel (WM015-001003-) defined by a drystone wall with the remains of a second nave and chancel church (WM015-001002-) located 120m to the S of the abbey church. A small building attached to the cashel wall (WM015-001003-) 18m to the SSW of the abbey church (WM015-001----) is indicated on the 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map, in 1912 this poorly preserved building was described as following; 'attached to the cashel (WM015-001003-) on the south is a small rectangular building of ancient masonry, but so defaced that no architectural features can be seen' (Anon 1912, 80th Annual Report of the Commissioners of Public Works in Ireland).
In 1917 Crawford recorded that, ‘Outside the cashel (WM015-001003-) to the south is a small rectangular building of early masonry. The features are defaced, but the structure, being ancient and roughly oriented, suggests a Lady Church similar to that outside the enclosure at Inisclothrann and elsewhere. As nearly as can be ascertained the dimensions are 35 feet [10.65m] by 28 feet [8.53m]’ (Crawford 1917, 147). On the revised 1910 ed. OS 25-inch map this building is depicted as a rectangular structure orientated on an E-W axis that was built onto the external face of the cashel wall.

Compiled by Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 12 January 2012

References

Harbison, P. 1970 Guide to the national monuments in the Republic of Ireland. Dublin. Gill and Macmillan.

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

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

Crawford, H.S. 1917 The Churches and Monuments of Inis Bó Finne, County Westmeath. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland
Vol.7, 139-52.

De Paor, L. 1962 Antiquities of the Viking Period from Inchbofin, Co. Westmeath. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, Vol,. 92, 187-91.