Penitential station in Inis Gluaire

At the E end of Inishglora, associated with the remains of a medieval monastery said to have been founded by St. Brendan the Navigator. This penitential station consists of a stone slab (H 1.65m above cairn; Wth 0.32m N−S; T 0.2m) set upright in a low roughly circular cairn (diam. 2-2.5m; H 0.75m). The slab is undecorated. It tapers slightly towards its top which slopes up from N−S. Its W face is flat and its E face is gently convex on the lower half. The surface of the stone is moderately covered with lichen. The encircling cairn consists of a loose heap of large, rough stone blocks and incorporates several pieces of quartz. This is one of several penitential stations that formed part of the traditional devotional round or pattern of prayers undertaken by pilgrims visiting the ecclesiastical site on the island. It is located in a central position in what would have been the monastic precinct: St Brendan’s chapel (MA061-003006-) is located 10m to E and Templenafear or the Men’s church (MA016-00003008-) is 15m to SE, and a cluster of three clochans (MA016-003 are 20m to W. An archive photogragh taken in the early 1900’s shows that the monument has changed little over the last century. Attached images: MA016-003012-_01 Viewed from W with St Brendan’s chapel in background at L and Templenafear (Men’s church at R. MA016-003012-_02 Viewed from W Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy Date of upload: 19 November 2021

Linked to St. Brendan the Navigator, this penitential station is associated with the medieval monastery on Inishglora and reflects early Christian penitential practices, often involving physical hardship and prayer. Local tradition holds that St. Brendan established a monastic settlement on the island, and such stations were used by penitents as part of their spiritual journey.