St. MacDuachs Church (in ruins) — Keelhilla

In hazel forest, in a sheltered location at the E foot of a steep scree-strewn rise which itself ends at the foot of a sheer cliff, named Eagle’s Rock. The surrounding land is rock pavement and rough grazing. Indicated and named ‘St. Mac Duagh’s Church (in ruins)’ on the 1842 and 1915 eds. of the OS 6-inch maps. Based on the Life of St. Colman Mac Duach, a 17th-century compilation by Colgan, Westropp (1900, 134) recorded the site as being founded c. AD 620, although he lists it as in ‘Kinallia’ rather than ‘Keelhilla’. Colmán of Kilmacduagh was of the Uí Fhiachrach of Aidhne, who held lands in North Clare and Galway (Ó Riain 2011, 192). He is listed as a child of Inghean Bhaoith of Killinaboy and elsewhere as of Ríoghnach, great-great-granddaughter of King Guaire Aidne (ibid.). He is the founding saint of Kilmacduagh monastery, Co. Galway (Fahey 1904) and it appears he may also have been a localization of Colum Cille (Ó Riain 2011, 193). Keelhilla appears in a tale of how he came to have jurisdiction over the diocese of Kilmacdugh (Westropp 1900, 134). Colmán and a servant had been fasting at Keelhilla for seven years and forty days when a great feast was magically transported from the table of King Guaire Aidne (elsewhere listed as his ancestor). King Guaire followed his meal and upon finding Colmán and being impressed by his fast ‘offered his seed and race to him until doom’ (Ó Riain 2011, 193). The passage of King Guaire and his army on their way to the site is supposed to have left a mark that seems to have become synonymous with karstic erosional features (CL006-024----) c. 350m to the ENE, a site indicated and named ‘Bohernamias’ on the 1842 and 1915 eds. of the OS 6-inch maps. Colman’s servant is said to have died after overindulging in Guaire’s meal and his remains were reputedly buried c. 360m ESE of the church (Westropp 1900, 134), near the site of two penitential cairns (CL006-025003- and CL006-025003-) and a possible holy well (CL006-025----). The OS parish namebooks for Keelhilla in 1839 (Placenames database of Ireland) record stations being performed here ‘by the peasantry and a patron [being] held here on the last sunday of the summer’ and Máire MacNeill (1962, 621) lists it as her only known Lughnasa gathering place in the Burren. A fragment of an Iron Age type beehive quern found embedded on the surface of the platform on which the church is built by Michael Killeen (NPWS) is now on display in Ennis museum (Grant 2015). A poorly preserved rectangular structure (int. dims. 7.15m E–W; 3.4m N–S) built of mortared stone, facing a rubble core (wall Wth 0.9m), with only the west gable and part of the north wall upstanding. The stones are generally thin roughly coursed flags, with one semi-cyclopean stone (L 1.5m; H 0.75m) and roughly dressed blocks in the W gable. The W gable survives to original height (c. 4.5m) and stands on a narrow plinth, which projects inward (c. 0.1m) from the wall-face. The N side wall also survives to original height (c. 2.8m) at its W end but is only traceable as a foundation line along its E half. It also sits on a plinth. The E gable is ruined and reduced to a barely traceable foundation line. The S sidewall survives as a grassed-over stone spread (Wth 2m; int. H 0.5m; ext. H 1m). The interior is very rough underfoot with grassed-over rubble and some hazel cover. The church is likely of late medieval date (Ní Ghabhláin 1995, 73) but may sit on the site of an earlier foundation. A penitential station (CL006-023003-) stands at E end, and another (CL006-023009-) is located 4m to its N. A holy well (CL006-023005-) lies c. 14m NE and the monuments may sit inside an enclosure (CL006-023010-), which is difficult to trace because of the overgrowth. A cave (CL006-023004-) located c. 20m WSW is reputedly the site of Colman’s hermitage. There are three fulachtaí fia (CL006-023007-, CL006-023008- and CL006-023011-) between 30 and 60m to the E. The following images have been uploaded: CL006-023001-_01.jpg View of church from NE with penitential station E end of church. CL006-023001-_02.jpg Interior W gable and remaining portion of N wall. Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Ros Ó Maoldúin Date of upload: 13 May 2021