St. Leos Chapel (in Ruins) — Inishshark

At the SE end of the island. Reputedly the site of St Leo's 7th-C monastery (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 386). According to the 2nd edition of the OS 6-inch map (1898), the present late 19th-C ruined church (E-W; L 10.85m, Wth 5.2m) stands 'on site of St Leo's Chapel'. In 1869 'the east wall, with a lancet window and parts of the north and south walls' of this older church were standing (Kinahan 1869b). Evidence indicates that the N and E walls were incorporated into the later church as evidenced by the presence of large, roughly faced blocks, at a height of 1.25m above ground level, in the E gable wall and N wall. The sillstone of the original lancet window is also visible, indicating that this window was subsequently blocked up and replaced by the present narrower, smaller window, which was inserted on a slightly different alignment. Research excavations in 2010 indicated that the lowest courses of the earlier S wall formed the plinth for the later wall, thereby narrowing the width of the later church. The latter church is oddly asymmetrical with two unevenly spaced lancet-like windows in the S wall and only one that is placed slightly off-centre in the N wall (Kuijt et al. 2010, 57, 60). A doorway between the windows in the S wall was subsequently blocked-up and plastered over and access is now gained through the doorway in the W gable. ‘St Leo’s Cross’ or ‘Leac Leo’ (see GA009D003----), which was recorded as being set on the E gable (Anon. 1905, 42), and the broken cross-slab (GA009D002002-) noted in the church by Crawford (1913, 151) are now missing. An associated graveyard (GA009D002003-) was uncovered during the 2010 excavations (Kuijt et al. 2010, 60). (O'Flanagan 1927b, Vol. 1, 486; Higgins 1987, 317) The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Galway Vol. I - West Galway'. Compiled by Paul Gosling (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1993). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. The following images have been uploaded: GA009D002----_01.jpg View of E gable from E. Two phases of construction are indicated by the change in construction above the line of large boulders. GA009D002----_04.jpg View from SW. The plastered area between the two windows in the S wall marks the blocked-up doorway. Updated by: Olive Alcock Date of revised upload: 29 March 2023