churches historical clare

St. Molua's Oratory: in the grounds of the Catholic church on the hill-top may be found another example of early Irish church building. This is the small oratory of St. Lua or Molua from whom Killaloe got its name. Only the chancel is roofed, with a high pitched roof of stone. Of the nave nothing remains except some walling. The oratory, originally on Friar's Island about 1km downstream from Killaloe, was removed to its present location in 1929, when the raising of the river level thr...

A resort town, 12 km from Ross, built along a fine beach in Moore Bay, the entrance which is protected from the full force of the Atlantic by a reef known as the Duggerna Rocks.

Kilkee has, of course, like virtually every townland in Ireland, an early history of saints and warriors but its career as a seaside resort took off in early Victorian times. The affluent families of Limerick City built themselves summer villas, "lodges", near the beach which offered safe swimming, ocean bree...

St. Senan, who died in 544, founded his monastery here in the first half of the 6th century. One of his pupils was St. Ciaran of Clonmacnoise. The monastery was ravaged by the Vikings in 816 and again in 835, and was probably even occupied by them from 972 to 975, but was recaptured by Brian Boru. The most conspicuous part of the old monastery is the Round Tower, 120 feet high, which is unusual in that the door is at ground level.

Just to the east of the tower is the Cathedral, a chu...

In St Flannan's Catholic Church grounds it eh oratory of St Lua, probalby 1,000 to 1,200 years old - here since 1930 when it was brought from Friar's Island as the Shannon scheme threatened to submerge it. This elevated site once housed Kincora, the palace of the Dal Cais clan, notably King Brian Boru and his descendants, the O'Briens. The Cathedral of the Church of Ireland and, in its grounds , an oratory which has a high -pitched roof, a barrel vaulted ceiling of stone with a croft or...

On the far side of Liscannor Bay, 5 km north-west of Lahinch. It is a small fishing village. Kilmacreehy, or St. Macreehy's Church, 1.5 km east of Liscannor, is a medieval parish church, with nave and chancel. It was built in the early 12th century, on the site of a famous school founded by St. Macreehy in the 6th century.

The castle ruin in the village, built by the O'Connors, became an O'Brien stronghold and was occupied by Sir Turlough O'Brien during the threatened invasion at the...

The church and Round Tower stand on the site of an Early Christian monastery founded by St. Tola who died between 733 and 737. Where the church stands there was a 12th century Romanesque nave-and-chancel church with a plain chancel arch and a wonderfully decorated west doorway above which was an ornamental lancet window. Three narrow lancet windows were inserted in the east gable early in the 13th century.

Some considerable time later the church must have fallen into decay. Possibly...

Killinaboy is an early monastic site named after St. Inghean Bhaoth. It has the remains of a church of the 11th or 12th century, over the south door, a Sheila-na-gig, female figure with no ascertainable ecclesiastical significance. On the outside of the west gable is the design of a two bar cross in the masonry. There is also the base of a round tower.

A short distance away on the bank of the River Fergus is an ivy-clad turret and bawn, known as De Clare's House.

About 1.5 k...

The cathedral of St Flannan, on the west bank of the river, close to the bridge, dates from the 13th century. It is a simple building without aisles but with north and south transepts and a low bell tower where transepts, nave and chancel join to form the usual cross. The church is of sandstone in a variety of shades. Immediately inside the entrance, on the right, a rich Romanesque doorway (taken from an earlier and, it is said, finer church on the same site) frames a window on the southern s...

Donal Mor O'Brien founded a church on this island in the Shannon estuary for the Augustinian Canons some time towards the end of the 12th century. In the 15th century a tower was built to the south of the nave, and two chapels were added. Most of the domestic buildings are of the same period; they comprise a sacristy next to the church, a chapter room in the east side, and a kitchen, a pantry and refectory on the ground floor of the south wing. There were no buildings in the western portion....

A small church dedicated to St Cronan of Roscrea, or Tuamgraney. The original lintelled doorway in the west wall was blocked up when an arched doorway was inserted into the north wall, probably some time in the 15th century. In the exterior walls there are some grotesque Romanesque heads, so the church probably dates from the 12th century. Near the church is a stone tomb-reliquary of uncertain date, which is locally said to mark the grave of St. Cronan. Another stands in the adjoining field....