Building

The National Monuments Service's description

Killare was founded by Aedh Mac Bricc who built three churches at Killare, these were St. Aedh's Church (WM024-057----), Temple Brigid (WM024-054001-) and 'aula' [hall/court] of St. Brigid' (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 392). 18m to the S of St. Bridget’s Church (WM024-054001-) are the grass-covered wall footings of a small building aligned E-W which may be the remains of an ecclesiastical building. This structure is aligned along the same axis as St. Bridget’s Church. It is possible that this building may be the ‘Hall or Court of St. Brigid’. According to Colgan writing in the 17th century, ‘there were three churches at Killare, the first dedicated to St. Aedh was parochial (WM024-057----), the next was called Temple Brigid (WM024-054001-), and the third the Court of St. Brigid’ (Woods 1907, 249).

See attached plan of church, holy well and possible ecclesiastical building surveyed by National Monuments Service in 1985.

Compiled by: Caimin O’Brien

Date of upload: 23 July 2014

This monument is subject to a preservation order made under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014 (PO no. 4/1986).

References

Woods, J. (ed.) 1907 Annals of Westmeath ancient and modern. Dublin. Sealy, Bryers & Walker.

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