Cloghans — High Island

This clochan or beehive hut is built within the thickness of the N side of the monastic enclosure wall (GA021-026022-) on High Island. Prior to conservation works it was largely complete but poorly preserved. Described by Scally (2014, 44-5, 131-6) as being rectangular in plan internally (2.2m E-W; 1.85m N-S) with angular corners. Externally it is roughly circular in plan (4m E-W; 3.6m N-S). The internal walls (H 1.4-2.1m; Wth of S wall 1.25m) are corbelled above 1m. Access is via a splayed doorway in the S wall. Two wall niches survive, one in the E wall, the other in the W wall. The floor of the hut was paved. Two decorated cross-slabs (GA021-02656- and GA021-02657-) were reused in the paving. The clochan is surrounded from NW to SE by an annulus (Wth c. 0.6m; H 0.9m), which provided additional structural support. At NW the annulus continues westwards and is bonded into the extended monastic wall, which suggests that both features were contemporary. Radiocarbon analysis of charcoal deposits inside the clochan indicates its earliest occupation dates to the late 12th century. Scally (ibid., 311-12) notes that this clochan is smaller than the clochan (GA021-026013-) to the E of the church (GA021-026018-) and suggests that it possibly accommodated the head monk. (Herity 1997, 52-8; White Marshall and Rourke 2000, 130-32) Compiled by: Olive Alcock Date of upload: 11 December 2015 This monument was taken into Ownership under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014 - National Monument 52. The following images have been uploaded: GA021-026012-_01.jpg General view from E GA021-026012-_02.jpg Clochan from E GA021-026012-_03.jpg View from W