Church (in Ruins)

At the S shore of Inishtemple Island (max. dims c. 900m E-W; c. 270m N-S) in Lough Melvin. The church is a rectangular structure (int. dims 12.95m E-W; 6.05m N-S) surviving almost complete with walls (Wth 0.8m; H c. 3m) of randomly coursed sandstone masonry and dressed quoins. There was a doorway, now destroyed, towards the W end of the N wall, and a lintelled doorway opposite, now blocked, has a projecting stone on the E jamb for a latch. A simple slit window survives in the S wall towards the E end, and the E window is destroyed. There is no evidence of an enclosure or of burial, although there are references to a burial ground on the island (OS Name Books, 84, 533). The above description is derived from 'The Archaeological Inventory of County Leitrim' compiled by Michael J. Moore (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2003). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 23 September 2008