Ecclesiastical enclosure

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated 75m N of Lords Harbour on SE shoreline of Hare Island also known as Inis Aingin at SE end of Lough Ree and 320km NW of the shoreline of Killinure, County Westmeath. According to O'Hanlon (1873, 213, 219), St. Ciarán established an early monastic foundation on Inis Aingin in the early 6th century before proceeding to Clonmacnoise, he was succeeded by Enna Mac Hui-Laigsi as abbot of Inis Aingin. According to Swan (1988, 18) the line of the Early Christian ecclesiastical enclosure was clearly visible in fields to E, N, and W of the Romanesque church (WM022-028----) on Hare Island. In 1978 the church was described as standing inside an oval-shaped bivallate ecclesiastical enclosure (diam. 53m N-S x 47m E-W) defined by a broad earthen bank with the remains of a second low earthen bank extending in an arc from the old shore line on the W to the N & to the old shore line on the E. The large area between the outer bank & the inner oval enclosure is crossed by several radial banks. Two roughly parallel radial banks on the W side may represent an original entrance feature Adjoining the outer bank on the N is a large subrectangular-shaped area enclosed by a broad low earthen bank. This may represent an annexe associated with the monastic enclosure. Other banks in the vicinity appear to belong to the post-1700 tree planting or landscaping. There are local reports of human burials having been found both in the inner enclosure and in the space between the ramparts, which suggests that this area was used as a graveyard (WM022-028003-) the church. In 1822 a 9th century cross-slab (WM022-028002-) was recorded lying on the ground inside the monastic enclosure (Petrie 1872, 45).

Compiled and revised by: Caimin O’Brien

Date of revised upload: 16 July 2019

References

Swan, D. L. 1988 Early Christian ecclesiastical sites. In J. Bradley (ed.), Settlement and society in medieval Ireland: studies presented to F.X. Martin OSA, 1-31. Kilkenny. Boethius Press.

Petrie, G. and Stokes, M. (ed.) 1872 Christian Inscriptions in the Irish Language. Vol. 1. Dublin. Royal Historical and Archaeological Association.

O'Hanlon, Rev. J. 1875-1903 Lives of the Irish saints. Dublin, London and New York.