Midden in Abbey Island

Ahamore Abbey/Mainistir Achaidh Mhóir commonly called Derrynane Abbey, is situated in a roughly rectangular graveyard (KE106-077002-) on the NE edge of Abbey Island, on the W side of Derrynane Bay. Access to the island, which is 36ha in area, is gained by crossing a beach, though it is cut off from the mainland by certain high tides. The church is traditionally associated with St Finan (OSNB Kilcrohane, 38), though Smith notes an association with St Finbarr of Cork (1756, 94). The remains are reputedly those of an Augustinian abbey, which was regarded by Cox as a cell of Molana Abbey, Co. Waterford (de Brún 1972, 36). The site contains the family vault of the O'Connells of Darrynane and the grave of the eighteenth-century Gaelic poet, Tomás Rua Ó Suilleabháin. The site is annotated simply as 'Abbey' on the first edition of the OS map, where it is depicted as an unenclosed group of buildings. In 1985, excavations were undertaken c. 15m outside the present graveyard wall at NW (Power and Doody 1988, 166-70). These uncovered the foundation courses of a slightly curving stone wall, 0.7m below present ground level. The wall may have served as an early boundary for the site. A well (KE106-077004-) and a shell midden (KE106-077005-) were also uncovered, and although their stratigraphic relationships with the other features were not established, they are considered to have been associated with the ecclesiastical remains. The above description is derived from A. O'Sullivan and J. Sheehan (compilers), 'The Iveragh peninsula: an archaeological survey of South Kerry'. Cork University Press (1996), no. 1084. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 31 July 2013