St. Dahalins Church (in ruins) — Glandahalin East

St Dahalin's Church (Teampall Daithleann, church of Daithle) (in ruins) in the townland of Glandahalin East (Gleann Daithleann Thoir) in the parish of Ballyheige, diocese of Ardfrert, barony of Clanmaurice. This church is situated on the N side of Kerry Head, and in the valley immediately E of the church lies Tobernasool holy well (Tobar na Súl, well of the eyes) (KE014-002----). This church is obviously of early date, possibly 8th century. It consists of a nave with a flat lintelled doorway on its S wall. The church was rectangular in plan, though the W gable is now gone, and it was constructed of large blocks of sandstone. It measures 5.5m N-S externally and had .9m-thick walls. As already stated, the doorway is on the S wall, 4.5m from the E gable. It measures 1m wide and 1.8m high. Originally there was a window on the E gable but it is now gone. According to O'Donovan (1841): 'on the east gable is a window constructed of chiselled brown stone. Every stone in it ran the entire thickness of the wall. It is injured or battered on the outside and has a round arch on the inside. It measures four feet ten inches in height and two feet two inches in breadth under the arch, and two feet four inches at the bottom.' This church is named after Daithlionn, reputed to be the sister of Erc, who is associated with a church (KE013-023001-) on the S side of Kerry Head. In 1841 the Ordnance Survey recorded the following details about 'Teampall Daithlionn'; 'In the Townland of Glendaghalin East is situated an old Church in ruins, called Teampall Daithlionn, about three hundred yards from the Shannon and about two miles from Kerry Head point. There is a holy well about one hundred yards Eastward of the ruin called in the Name Book Tobar na Súl, the Well of the Eyes [KE014-002----], it’s water, it is said, is dedicated to Saint Daithlionn from whom the Church and Glen in (at) which it is situated were denominated. The festival Day of the Saint is not remembered; the well is frequented on Saturdays by persons troubled with sore eyes. This Saint Daithlionn, it is said, was a sister to Mac-Deaghaidh whose Church has been described above; and the two Churches were distant about two and a half miles from each other and situated on each side of Kerry head. The Church of Saint Mac Deaghaidh [KE013-023001-] stood on the South side, and his sister’s Church on the North side' (OSL). Folklore collected from Booleenshare School recorded the following tradition about Glendahalan Well; ‘About three miles north of Ballyheigue Village are the ruins of the old Church named "Teampull Daithlionn". It got its name from Saint Dathalan who spent most of her life praying in a small cabin beside the Church. The Church was built on a hillock. It was eighteen feet [5.5m] long, eleven feet [3.3m] broad, and nine feet [2.7m] high but before the year 1814 the walls fell and there is nothing to be seen now only the ruins of the Church and the Saint's little house. Everyone had heard of Saint Dathalan and the holy life she lived and people used to come to see her Church and tiny house' (The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0417, Page 361; https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4678380/4673770). The above description is derived from C. Toal, ‘North Kerry Archaeological Survey’. Dingle. Brandon in association with FAS Training and Employment Authority (1995), no. 944. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Revised by: Caimin O’Brien Date of revised upload: 19 May 2022