Ordnance Survey Letters by John O'Donovan and Eugene Curry, 1839

Parish of Kilfeddaun (a)

This Parish is of very irregular shape and extends from the Shannon to the Townland of Furroor in the Parish of Cloondagad. It is bounded on the north by the Parish of Cloondagad; on the east by the Parish of Kildysart and the Shannon; on the south by the Shannon and on the west by the Parishes of Killofin, Kilmurry Mac Mahon and Kilmihil.

This Parish is called in the ancient language Cill Feadáin, which is supposed to mean the Church of St. Feddan, but there was no Saint of this name, and the real meaning seems to be the Church of Feadán or Streamlet, as this is corroborated by the locality. This meaning is further corroborated by the name Caislean an Fheádain which often occurs in Ireland, and which is found to mean Castle of the Streamlet wherever it occurs.

The old Church of Kilfeddaun is in good preservation, but not ancient or at all interesting to the architectural antiquarian. It is sixty seven feet six inches in length and eighteen feet six inches in breadth, and its side walls are twelve feet high and three feet nine inches thick, and built of hammered quarry stones laid in regular courses.

The west gable contains no feature but a round topped belfry in good preservation. The south wall contains a window placed at the height of seven feet from the ground and five feet from the west gable. It is broken on the inside, but in good preservation on the outside where it measures two feet two inches in height and eight inches in breadth. At the distance of thirteen feet from this window there is, in the same wall, a pointed doorway measuring on the outside six feet two inches in height and three feet eight inches in breadth. At the distance of seven feet from the east gable was another window but now destroyed inside and outside except two cut stones of that side next the east gable.
The east gable contains a pointed window measuring on the inside about ten feet in height and three feet nine inches in width, and on the outside six feet ten inches in height and one foot nine inches in breadth. It was divided by a stone mullion, now broken.

The north wall is featureless. The corner stones are cut lime stones.

Its graveyard is of considerable extent but contains no ancient inscriptions.

About a quarter of a mile to the south of this Church and in the Townland of Moyfadda is a Holy Well called Tobar Sheanain (fons Sancti Senani) which cures sore eyes, but St. Sennaun’s Day is not celebrated at it.

In the Townland of Caher-Da-Chon, anglicé Cahercon, in this Parish was a castle belonging to Tege Mac Mahon in the reign of Queen Elizabeth according to the list of the Castles of Thomond above quoted in page 46.