What is recorded here

Church Island in Lough Carra holds a monastic site and church tied to St. Finan and the old region of Kera. A local story names Marban, hermit poet and brother of King Guaire of Gort, as a possible dweller there before 663 AD. The exact spot remains hidden, but the causeway still leads toward water that kept such claims alive.

On Church Island in Lough Carra. The island is linked to the mainland by a causeway (MA099-016----). Knox (1904, 306) records a monastic site and church (MA099-017----) on the island. Gwynn and Hadcock (1970, 401) refer to it as follows: ‘Rathen, Co. Mayo. St. Finan built and was ab. Rathensis, and fd. the ch. of Kill-Finain in that reg. of Kera (Cara), t. SS. Cormac and Becan (Mo-Becoc, d. 689: AI): Act 752. St. Fidhmanius of Raitheniae (Act 248) may belong here. This mon. and the ch., on Church Island in Loch Cara: Knox H. T. 306. A 104 gives in Co. Donegal and confuses with Rathanepscop (Rathaspick).’ The Ballinrobe Survey recorded a local tradition that ‘Marban, a hermit poet, made his dwelling here. He was a brother of King Guaire of Gort, who died in 663 AD.’ (Lavelle 1994, no. 586, 79). The exact location on the island of this ecclesiastical site is unknown, but it may have been in the vicinity of the church (MA099-017----). Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy Date of upload: 22 January 2013

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