Survey of the Churches

Diocese of Killaloe

Barony of Inchiquin

39. KILKEEDY, Sheet 11.—Parish church, 60 feet by 20 feet. The east window is well executed; two broad ogee-headed lights (the shaft intact), with a well-cut semicircular head to the splay; its north jamb is ancient, probably of the late twelfth century; the rest of the building probably after 1500. Small “priest’s dwelling,” 19 feet by 16 feet, lies to the north. The font has a spiral fluting. Founder uncertain, perhaps Caeide. “Kilquydi,” 1302; Cil Caeidi, 1599 (“Annals, Four Masters”). Monument, Mullin, 1706. Description, Dwyer, p. 498. 40. CUSHACORRA, Sheet 7.—Kilkeedy Parish. Some remains of an alleged convent.

East Window as rebuilt, Kilkeedy

41. TEMPLEMORE, or “MOOR” (KELLS), Sheet 17.—Kilkeedy Parish, 51 feet by 20 feet 7 inches. A very early church; the east and north sides have fallen. The west door has a lintel and inclined jambs; the south window is rudely built, with a semicircular head of one block. A souterrain remains near the east end. Description, R.S.A.I., 1894, p. 289.

42. ST. CATHERINE’S (KELLS), Sheet 17.—Kilkeedy Parish. Entirely levelled, and the graveyard is an orchard. Aenghus O’Daly, in 1617, ^[119] probably alludes to it when reproaching the people of Cealla (Kells) for “digging in the churchyard in the snow.” Description, Dr. G. Macnamara, R.S.A.I., 1900, p. 31.

43. TEMPLENADEIRKA, Sheet 18.—Kilkeedy Parish. The east gable and fragments of the side wall remain. The east window has two plain ogee heads; the shaft is gone. The building seems later than 1500, and evidently had a well-cut pointed south door, now lying in fragments among the graves.

44. SKAGHAVANOO, Sheet 18.—Kilkeedy Parish. Only a foundation; the head of a bossed Celtic cross and the holy bush which gives the place its name, remain near a large rath, with a souterrain. Description, Dr. G. Macnamara, R.S.A.I., 1900, p 31. (illustration).

45. KILTACHYMORE, Sheet 10.—Kilkeedy Parish. Only part of the east gable remains, with very archaic masonry. O’Curry gives the ancient name as “Cil taice,” without date or stated authority.

46. KILNABOY, Sheet 17.—Parish church. 63 feet by 20 feet 3 inches. The north and west walls are of early masonry, probably of the eleventh century. The low north door and tomb recess may be of the fourteenth century. There is a perfect sheelanagig over the south door. The east window is late. At the top is a small vesical ope, then two pear-shaped opes; below are three round-headed lights resting on a cross-bar; below this again are four oblong opes, the most northern cuts into the side pier; the head of the outer arch is pointed—the whole forming a late and most eccentric structure; it is ready to fall. The south windows very late, with brick arches. A fifteenth century ambry stands to the north of the altar; the panelled front slab of the latter remains. Founder, the anonymous Inghean Baoith (daughter of Baoith); date and identity uncertain. “Killinbynech,” 1302; Cil inghine baoith, 1599 (“Annals, Four Masters”). Monuments: O’Flanagan, 1644; O’Nellane, 1645; O’Hehir, 1711; O’Brien of Cross, 1794. The tau-shaped termon cross still stands at Roughan; two other crosses marked the church lands at Crossard and Elmvale (Crossoughter). The termon lands are recorded in the “Book of Distribution,” 1655. Descriptions: “Memorials of Adare,” Dutton, p. 307; Dwyer, p. 492; T. J. Westropp, R.S.A.I., 1894-1900, p. 26; G. Macnamara, R.S.A.I., 1900, p. 26.

47. COAD, Sheet 17.—Kilnaboy Parish, 54 feet 3 inches by 22 feet. A late-fifteenth century church. The east window has two ogee heads (shaft gone), and a neat angular head to the splay. The south door is pointed; the south window has an ogee head; and the west gable has an arched bell chamber. The townland gives its name to Teige an Comhad, Prince of Thomond, 1459. Monuments, O’Brien of Lemaneagh, 1642; Power, 1673; Macnamara, 1722; MacGorman, 1735; Foster, 1756-1786. Description, G. Macnamara, P.M.D., III. (1896), p. 229; R.S.A.I., 1900.

East Window, Coad

48. LEANNA, Sheet 17.—Kilnaboy Parish. It is now quite levelled, only the late jamb stones of an inclined door with hollow fluting at the angles, and a monk’s head at the top remain. Founder unknown, “cil mhic ui donain,” 1317 ^[120] in “Leanana.” Near it is an enclosure called the Friar’s House (Tenambrawher on maps), and several bullauns. Description by G. Macnamara, R.S.A.I., 1897, p. 76. With two illustrations.

49. KILVOYDAN, Sheet 17.—Kilnaboy Parish. Entirely levelled, a few fragments of cut stone remain in the graveyard, and a curious door jamb, with a rude carving of St. Sebastian and rich fifteenth century foliage was removed to Corofin Chapel. In the field south of the graveyard are the socketted base and head of an early cross; the water in the socket “cures warts.” Founder, Baighdean. Identity and date unknown. Description, G. Macnamara, R.S.A.I., 1900, p. 29.

50. TEMPLEPATRICK (CORREEN), Sheet 10.—Kilnaboy Parish. The foundations of a small oratory, and detached priest’s house in the “battle-field” at the foot of the hill at the entrance to Glenquin (Glencaoine), and below the stone fort of Cahermore, (Lackareagh). To the west is the “well” of St. Patrick, a basin in a low ledge of rock.

51. DYSERT-O’DEA, or DISERT-TOLA, Sheet 25.—Parish church. Nave and chancel, 71 feet by 23 feet 9 inches, and 21 feet by 25 feet. The south wall forms one line from the east gable to a projection to the west of the nave door. The semicircular chancel arch, and much of the north walls are probably of the later tenth century. The south door is of ornate romanesque workmanship (probably of the late eleventh century, and the middle of the twelfth century), and has been rebuilt (some voussoirs of another arch having been apparently inserted) in the south wall. It has a row of nineteen heads round it. One of the west windows has also been made of carved fragments from at least three other windows. The whole west end of the nave is late and embodies moulded blocks of the older church. The east window has three plain Gothic lights, chamfered and recessed, probably of the thirteenth century. The gable above the choir arch has a shapeless bell chamber with two pointed opes. A rude font and small cross remain in the graveyard. The Round Tower stands 7 feet 5 inches north of the north-west corner of the church. It is about 60 feet high, and 61 feet in circumference. The door is perfect with a semicircular head. The tower was built in offsets, like the tower of Ardmore, it has late Gothic battlements and window, and has been partly thrown down by lightning. A “brass” bell was found inside. In the field to the east of the ruins stands the beautiful high cross, probably of the late twelfth century. It was restored by Michael O’Dea in 1683, and Colonel F. Synge in 1871. The well of St. Tola is defaced, but still flows in a ditch. A double bullaun, extant in 1839, is not now discoverable. Founder, Tola of Clonard, died 735. Dysert was the chief sanctuary of the Muinter Iffernain or O’Quins. The fine bronze crosier is preserved in the collection of the Royal Irish Academy. Monuments, Joan O’Dea, 1684; Neylane, 1728. Descriptions. Grose, vol. I., plates 3 and 4, p. xii; Dutton, p. 307; Brash, p. 58; Keane, p. 363; Dunraven, II., p. 38, p. 111; Dwyer, p. 495; Miss Stokes, plate xxxi.; T. J. Westropp, R.S.A.I. 1894, p. 150; G. Macnamara, R.S.A.I. 1899, p. 244. Numerous illustrations in last two; views in all the others except Dutton. Vested as National Monuments.

52. MONASTERNASHRADUFF, Sheet 25.—Dysert Parish. Entirely demolished. A rude cross remained in 1839. It is also called Cil Lionain and “the Abbey of Shraduff or Temple Disert in Cottindisert” in 1611. ^[121]

53. KILCURRISH, Sheet 25.—Dysert Parish. 21 feet by 12 feet. Only the west gable with a late pointed door is standing.

54. TEMPLEDUFF (AUGHRIM), Sheet 25.—Dysert Parish. A rude late building, 50 feet by 14 feet 6 inches, thickly ivied; late fifteenth century south door. The west gable and priest’s house are levelled. It is called Temple Hugh O’Connell in the survey and maps of 1839; but this name is not known to the older peasantry.

55. RUAN, Sheet 25.—Parish Church, 55 feet 4 inches by 19 feet 6 inches. A very late fifteenth-century building. The east window has two pointed heads. The south door is pointed. A side building, 19 feet 6 inches by 16 feet 3 inches projects from the south-west angle. Founder unknown. Church not named in 1302. The place is called “Ruadhan, of the grasstopped hollow cahers” in 1317. ^[122] Monuments, O’Griffy, 1643; O’Kerin, 1687; Gorman, 1741. Descriptions, P.M.D., III. (1897), p. 398.

56. KILVAKEE, Sheet 25.—Ruan Parish. Rudely built foundations remaining in Dromore.

57. TEMPLENARAHA, Sheet 25.—Ruan Parish. Foundations of very ancient large masonry stand in a defaced caher.

58. INAGH, Sheet 32..—Parish Church. Fragments of the “Teampul na glas aighne” remained in 1839. Now demolished. Founder, Maccreiche, c. 580. His “Life” says he built the church in his old age. Eidnach, 1599 (Annals Four Masters).

59. RATHBLATHMAIC, Sheet 25.—Parish Church. Nave and chancel, 42 feet 10 inches by 24 feet 8 inches, and 18 feet 4 inches by 20 feet. The south walls of the nave and chancel, the former with plinth and round corner shaft, and part of the north wall of the nave are of the late eleventh or earlier twelfth century. The sills of two early windows are set in the south wall of the nave. The more western is richly carved with foliage, dragons’ heads, and a sheelanagig struggling with monsters. The second forms the sill of a late fifteenth-century window. The chancel arch is plain and pointed. The east and west gables are levelled. The south door has a stoup in its right jamb, and a carved block with roundels and interlacings. Keane says that the stump of a round tower was demolished in 1838. Founder, St. Blathmac, perhaps the poet, living c. 540 (“Life of Maccrecius”). His fine crosier and bell are in the museum of the Royal Irish Academy, “Rayth” 1302, “Prospect pleasing Rath” 1318. ^[123] Descriptions. Keane, p. 364; T. J. Westropp, R.S.A.I., 1894, p. 30 (with plan and illustrations); 1900.

60. KILKEE, Sheet 25.—Rath Parish. A graveyard in Cahercorcaun townland.

61. KILNAMONA, Sheet 33.—Parish Church, 63 feet 6 inches by 21 feet. The north wall has fallen: the church is plain, and dates circa 1500. The east window has a round-headed light. The south door is pointed and defaced. Founder, probably Laughteen, to whom the well is dedicated. The shrine of his arm (now in the museum of the Royal Irish Academy) was preserved at Kilnamona before it was removed to Lislachtin in County Kerry, ^[124] “Kylnemua,” 1302. Monument, Considine, 1687; P.M.D., III. (1896), p. 228.