Church (in ruins) — Kiltartan

On a N-facing slope overlooking marshy land. According to Fahey (1904, 218-9) and Hynes (1904, 15), this medieval church was dedicated to St Attracta. It consists of a well-preserved ivy-mantled rectangular building (c. 19.8m E-W; c. 7.6m N-S) which is roughly centrally located in a graveyard (GA122-104001-). Access is gained via a pointed arch doorway at the W end of the N wall. A round-headed window is visible to the E of the doorway, and further to the E again there is a wall monument (GA122-104002-). A triple-light cusped ogee-headed window is set off-centre in the E gable. Fahey (1904, 218-19) suggested that the two 'curious projections' carved on its mullions appeared ‘to be stone stables for holding bolts’. That on the N mullion ends in a carved human head, while that on the S one ends in an animal head. A wall cupboard is visible towards the E end of the S wall. To its W there is a single-light ogee-headed window and further W again a single-light round-headed window. The W gable is featureless apart from a small round-headed window high up in the gable, indicating that there was formerly a loft at this end of the church. Harbison (2005, 22-3) suggests that the church is unlikely to be much earlier than AD 1200 as its E end is characterised by the use of cyclopean masonry. Its W end appears to have been rebuilt sometime around the 15th century. At this time the church may have been lengthened and, if so, the original W doorway was replaced with that in the N wall. Also at this time the upper portions of the side-walls and the E window were rebuilt and some of the narrow round-headed windows of the earlier construction phase were re-inserted in the side-walls. A partially worked boulder now perched on the wall tomb is reputed to be that tied to St Colman's mother when she was thrown into the Kiltartan River (Fahey 1904, 218-19). (O'Flanagan 1927a, Vol. 2, 602-7) Compiled by: Olive Alcock Date of upload: 10 March 2020