Clare County Library | Clare
History |
Ordnance Survey Letters by John O'Donovan and Eugene Curry, 1839 |
Parish of Kilshanny (a) |
Kilrush, Dear Sir, The name of this Parish is of ecclesiastical origin, and originally spelled Cill-Sheanaigh i.e., the Church of Seanach or St. Seanach, of which name there are several mentioned in the Irish Calendar but I cannot identify any of them with this locality. The walls of the old Church of Kilshanny remain in good preservation in the Townland of that name, measuring sixty eight feet in length and eighteen feet in breadth, the walls about fourteen feet high and three and a half feet thick. There is a pointed doorway in the west gable six and a half feet high and four feet three inches wide on the inside; five feet ten inches high and three and a half feet wide on the outside. There is a small semicircular headed window over this door at the height of about twelve feet from the ground, about two feet high and four inches wide. At the distance of thirty three feet from the west gable in the south wall is a semicircular headed window, six feet high and two and a half feet wide on the inside, four feet four inches high and five and a half inches wide on the outside. There is a large window in the same side within five and a half feet of the east gable, with the top broken away, and divided into three divisions by two mullions, measuring eight feet in height and five feet in breadth on the inside, six feet in height outside, and each division seven and a half inches in breadth. There is a pointed window in the east gable measuring ten feet in height and five and a half feet in breadth, on the inside, divided into three divisions in front, each pointed at top, and measuring six and a half feet in height and ten inches in breadth. A stone built altar covered at top with a smoothly cut flag remains under this window inside, the flag measuring eight feet eight inches in length, three feet three inches in breath and six inches in thickness. At the distance of twenty feet from the east gable, on the north side, is a semicircular headed doorway, well built up with cut grit stone and looking a good deal older than any other part of the ruin, measuring seven feet in height and five feet three inches in breadth on the inside, five and a half feet high and two feet ten inches wide in front. There is a large burying ground attached to it. |