What is recorded here

Ogham marks cut into a horizontal stone buried in the west gable of Killemlagh Church suggest the medieval building replaced an older foundation beside Keel Strand. The chamber sits above a graveyard in The Glen, overlooking St Finan's Bay and the Skelligs, while a holy well attributed to St Finan lies nearby. People once walked rounds there for scrofulous disease, trusting the place to pull sickness from the body.

Killemlagh Church / Cill Imleach: Located in a graveyard (KE096-009003-) directly above Keel Strand, in a valley known locally as The Glen. It overlooks St Finan's Bay and the Skelligs to W. It is traditionally associated with St Finan, as is a holy well located a short distance to W (KE096-007-----). This association, along with the presence of a possible ogham stone in the Medieval church's W gable, suggests that the site may occupy the location of an earlier ecclesiastical foundation. Rounds were formerly made here by people 'afflicted with diseases of a scrofulous nature' (Lynch 1902a, 61). Ogham Stone (KE096-009001-): This stone, possibly ogham-inscribed, is built into the external face of the W gable, close to the NW angle (information: E. Rynne). It occurs in a horizontal position, 3.75m above present ground level. Its exposed edge measures 1.25m in overall length and features a number of ogham-like scores. Further scores are partly visible on the present underside of the stone. The discernable characters from left to right are: CLHQOC 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. 1096. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 31 July 2013

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