What is recorded here

St. Eanys Grave was likely a leacht at the southeast end of Inishmore, buried beneath shifting sands after O’Flaherty saw its covering stone in 1684. The sea claimed it and one hundred and twenty other saintly graves, erasing the marker while preserving the mystery. When excavators opened the church in 1984, they found slab settings on its north side, perhaps revealing one of those swallowed graves. The island keeps its dead patient, waiting for people clever enough to listen through the sand.

At the SE end of Árainn/Inishmore in a large graveyard (GA119-020003-) in an area of shifting sands; associated with ‘Teaghlach Éinne’ (GA119-020001-). Named 'St. Eany's Grave' but not indicated on the OS 6-inch maps. It was most likely a leacht and was probably similar in construction to those which survive on Inis Meáin (see GA119-081002-) and Inis Óirr (see GA120-002007-, GA120-002008- and GA120-002009-). O’Flaherty recorded in 1684 that the stone laid over the grave was still to be seen but that by the mid-19th century it, together with the graves of 120 saints that were located to the NE of the church, was buried in the sand (O’Flanagan 1927, Vol. 3, 348-9, 351). No visible surface trace survives. However, during the course of excavations at the church in 1984 a setting of slabs, possibly marking a grave, was uncovered on the N side of the church. This feature may be one of the graves on the edge of the ancient graveyard (Manning 1985, 111). Compiled by: Olive Alcock Date of upload: 4 February 2016

St. Eanys Grave (Cill Éinne) is associated with a local saint, Eany, and is located within a larger graveyard on Inishmore, part of the Aran Islands. The site is linked to the "Teaghlach Éinne" (Family of Eany), suggesting a tradition of local veneration and possible early Christian settlement activity in the area.

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