Church (in Ruins)

This is the parish church of Rahara, listed as Rathfard in the ecclesiastical taxation of Elphin in 1306 (Cal. doc. Ire., vol. 5, 224). Situated on a gentle E-facing slope c. 1.2 km from the NW corner of Lough Funshinagh, a large subrectangular turlough (dims c. 3km NNW-SSE; c. 1-1.3km ENE-WSW). The church is a rectangular structure (ext. dims 16.3m E-W; 8.4m N-S) with good quoins, one with a carved head (RO045-077004-) at the NW angle. The N wall with a pointed doorway (Wth 1.3m; H 1.5m) towards the W end is complete (H c. 3.5m). The E wall with the dressed ingoings of the embrasure (Wth 1.6m) of a lancet window which is damaged, survives almost complete (H c. 3m), while the W wall is largely rebuilt and the S wall is missing. A sheela-na-gig (RO045-077005-) (Siggins 1990, 46-7) carved on a voussoir from an arch (H 0.44m; Wth 0.1-0.4; T 0.3m) is now in Roscommn County Museum (RO039-043025-). The church is within a rectangular graveyard (RO045-077002-) (dims c. 70m N-S; c. 50m E-W) defined by a field bank at E and masonry walls at N and W, but the graveyard has been extended at S (dims c. 65m NW-SE; c. 35-65m NE-SW). Toberlargan (RO045-075001-) is c. 800m to the NNE. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 24 August 2010

The church at Rahara was likely built in the late medieval period, with its earliest known reference in 1306, and is associated with the parish of Elphin; its dedication and architectural style are not recorded. The site is significant as a former parish church, reflecting the ecclesiastical organization of the region during the medieval era.