Survey of the Churches

Diocese of Killaloe

Barony of Clonderlaw

143. KILCHRIST, Sheet 50.—Parish church, 77 feet 2 inches by 23 feet 3 inches. A late fifteenth-century building. The east window has two interlacing shafts and is pointed. The south door has a heavy angular weather ledge. It has a stoup with two pointed opes in the right jamb. There is a second smaller pointed door to the east of the last. There are two windows in the south wall, one heavily ivied, the more eastern has a round head.

144. INISMORE (DEER ISLAND), Sheet 50.—Kilchrist Parish. Church marked on map, “Inis mor,” 977. ^[163] Well Toberbreedia.

145. KILLADYSERT, Sheet 50.—Parish church, 75 feet by 21 feet. It differs considerable from the usual types in this county, and it is very regrettable that its origin is forgotten. It has a neat belfry tower with stepped battlements at the west end, which was struck by lightning in 1826. It contains a residence for the priest, 8 feet 8 inches by 8 feet 5 inches, and opens into the church by a low pointed arch. The east window has inclined jambs, but is late Gothic, and had a shaft and transom now lost. The south wall has (beginning at the west end) a square slit; a pointed door (21 feet from the belfry); it has a heavy angular weather ledge; 15 feet eastward is a slit with an angular head 7 inches wide; 13 feet eastward is a narrow pointed door, 1 foot 5 inches wide; while a foot from the east wall is a window with square splay and semicircular-headed light. Founder, unknown. “Disert Murthill,” 1302; “Disert Murthaile,” c. 1284 ^[164] ; “Desert Morehely,” 1584; and “Killadysert murhull.” ^[165]

146. INISDADRUM (CONEY ISLAND) Sheet 60.—Killadysert Parish. There are two churches. Brash ^[166] describes the older building as an oblong church, 16 feet 8 inches by 9 feet 10 inches. The masonry is of large blocks, and the west door has a lintel and inclined jambs. The east window is defaced. Founder, Brendan, ^[167] A.D. 550. Imar, the Dane, and his sons were slain at Inis da Dromand, and Inis Mor, A.D. 977, by the Irish ^[168] ; and “gold and silver, much wealth, and various goods,” recovered in the islands and their fortresses.

147. Same. A church not marked on map, but mentioned by Brash.

148. CANONS’ ISLAND (AUGUSTINIAN ABBEY), Sheet 60.—Killadysert Parish. The remains consist of a church, belfry, two side chapels and domicile round an arcaded cloister. A gate-house remains to the west. The east window has three plain lancets under a large splay arch; the quoins were removed to Killadysert chapel. The western door leading into the cloister has a stoup with two opes in the right jamb; the cloister had pointed skew arches at each angle. The arcade had plain piers and flag sills. The belfry is lofty and plain. The west doorway, porch, and window of the church, are of the fifteenth century. The window has two trefoil heads and a square hood. Founder, Donaldmore O’Brien, c. 1189. Monuments, a slab with a black-letter inscription to “Magister Cornelius.” Descriptions, Frost, p. 71 (illustration); T. J. Westropp, R.S.A.I., 1897, p. 286 (plan and illustration).

149. INISLOE, Sheet 60.—Killadysert Parish. Church levelled. Founder, St. Senan, c. 550; St. Moronoc, the penitentiary of Inislua, attended his death-bed.

150. KILLOFFIN, Sheet 68.—Parish church, 67 feet by 18 feet. A late building. The east window has two lights (the mullion gone); the south door and window are pointed. The west gable has a pointed bell chamber. Founder, Lugad, perhaps Molua. “Kellugifioun,” 1302; “Killerfin,” 1461. ^[169]

151. KILKERIN, Sheet 68.—Killoffin Parish, 32 feet by 18 feet 6 inches. An early church; the north wall and ends of the nave remain. The chancel arch is 10 feet wide, built of flagstones. The west gable has partly fallen, and the chancel is levelled. Founder, St. “Keereen.” Identity, uncertain. ^[170] A stone with a cross on it lies at his well and altar to the east of the church.

152. KILFEDDAN, Sheet 69.—Parish church, 67 feet 6 inches by 18 feet. A late building. The east has two pointed lights (shaft gone). The south door is pointed; the west gable has a round arched bell chamber. Founder, possibly Senan, to whom the well is dedicated. “Kellfidayn,” 1302.

153. KILMIHIL, Sheet 48.—Parish church, 70 feet by 19 feet 6 inches. A late building; the east window is pointed with inclined jambs and a single light. The west gable has a small bell chamber and a doorway. The south door is pointed; there were three south windows lintelled, two defaced and three round headed. Founder, traditionally built by Senan, and dedicated to St. Michael. ^[171]

154. KILTUMPER, Sheet 48.—Kilmihil Parish. A very doubtful site. Two “Termon stones” remain at Termon roe; also a well, “Tober righ an domhnaigh” and a cromlech called “Tumper’s grave” at Kiltumper.

155. KILMURRY MACMAHON, Sheet 58.—Parish church. Entirely destroyed in 1819 to build the modern Protestant church. It had in 1640 a fine monument of the Mac Mahon, 1460. ^[172]

156. KNOCK, Sheet 58.—Kilmurry Parish. Entirely levelled, it stood in Kilmore demesne. It was a parish church “Cnoc” in 1302.

157. KILLIMER, Sheet 67.—Parish church, 50 feet 6 inches by 17 feet. The east window was ancient, round-headed, and well cut in gritstone, the sides inclined. The west gable has a broken bell-chamber. The south door is pointed, near it is a rude door now closed. Founder, St. Emeria, locally “ Iomaigh,” traditionally a contemporary of St. Senan. Her “leac” and well lie to the east. “Killadmyr” in 1302.