Church (in ruins) — Cahermacnaghten

Situated in the SW corner of Cahermacnaghten townland, this building is the focus of a settlement that extends across an area 1600 square metres incorporating the wall footings of four other rectangular buildings (see CL009-001043-, CL009-001045- and CL009-001047-), a kiln (CL009-001048-), several pens and enclosures, and a clochán (CL009-001046-). Listed in the SMR (1992) and the RMP (1996) as ‘House – medieval’ this was designated ‘Church (in ruins)’ on the 1st ed. OS 6-inch map and ‘Cowelteebrack (in ruins)’ on the 1916 OS edition. The building (int. dims. 15.5m E-W; 7m N-S; wall T 1.3m), as described by FitzPatrick (2011), has unusual architecture with parish church or medieval hall-type proportions and a late medieval pointed doorway at the E end with half-roll and fillet moulding. It is a single-storey building with a loft area above, at least over its E and W ends. The lofts were reached by ropes or ladders. The gables have no extant openings but breaches in the masonry suggest their former presence. The corners of the building were finished with large, cut and lightly punch-dressed quoin stones, most of which have been robbed out. A total of seven and possibly eight windows of Tudor late Gothic form lit the interior. They were originally shuttered and not glazed. There were four large wall cupboards, two in each gable and a large fireplace occupied a partition wall towards the E end of the building. Research excavation in 2008 (Licence no. 08E435; FitzPatrick 2011, 41-3; Clutterbuck and FitzPatrick 2013, 26-7) revealed that ‘this was probably the schoolhouse of the O’Davoren Brehon lawyers… Three rooms, two internal partition walls, a fireplace and associated deposits …were discovered. The 2008 excavation confirmed that there was considerable disturbance and reuse in the modern period, especially during the 19th century. The material culture from the primary occupation levels of the building was slight, but a tiny fragment of thin, friable slate with a single inscribed character, found in the western room in a very shallow deposit over the karst floor, is a significant find potentially diagnostic of school activity… The schoolhouse appears to have been first built and used in the late 15th or 16th century, as is suggested by a radiocarbon age range of 1488-1603 (UBA 13601) obtained from animal bone in a primary occupation layer at the entrance through the western partition wall of the building.’ According to Clutterbuck and FitzPatrick (2013, 27) ‘the building appears to have been refurbished as a residence, with a new fireplace and internal partition wall inserted during the mid- to late 17th century, most likely when Turlough O’Brien or a tenant of his occupied the townland. The building was abandoned, except for perhaps occasional use, in the 18th to 19th century, finally being used as an animal enclosure in the 20th century.’ Revised by: Mary Tunney Date of revision: 8 March 2016