Church (in Ruins)

In undulating farmland at Claretuam, it is situated within a modern rectilinear graveyard. Described in OS Letters (O'Flanagan 1927, Vol. 1, 126) as 'The old church of Belclare [which] was erected by the Anglo-Normans, and dedicated to St. Michael the Archangel'. The visible remains comprise a poorly preserved rectangular church (E-W; L >14.8m, Wth 5.5m) of which only the lines of W gable, a small section of adjoining N wall and S wall are still evident. Though much of S wall still stands to full height, it is featureless. There is a holy well (GA043-028----) 230m to NE, an earthwork (GA043-036----) 100m to NNW and a castle (GA043-039----) 160m to SE. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Galway Vol. II - North Galway'. Compiled by Olive Alcock, Kathy de hÓra and Paul Gosling (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1999). Date of upload: 05 August 2010