Church in Clahane

The precise location of a possible church site associated with St Guaire mentioned in an 18th century lease amongst the Denny rentals and estate books has not been identified. The placename 'Guaire's lands' is the only evdience for the possible existence of a chruch site, if ever there was one. Hickson (1881, 578-9) recorded the following details about this possible church site; 'The locale of the garrane or shrubbery of O'Harraghten cannot now be discovered, although it is mentioned in the letters patent of 1639, together with Brandon's Burgage and Gwyar's or Guaire's Burgage. The latter name seems to mark the site of some vanished cell or church under the patronage of the St. Guaire of the seventh century, who is said to have been, like St. Brandon, a native of Kerry, although his name sounds Cambrian, and it survived until the middle of the eighteenth century, as is evident from the following abstract of an old lease amongst the Denny rentals: 'Jan. 5th, 1742. Colonel Thomas Denny to Patrick Hely Fitz Thomas, merchant, 5th, 1742. Colonel Thomas Denny to Patrick Hely Fitz Thomas, merchant, the tan-yard, mill, house, and small cabin south of said tan yard, together with the gardens and small closes or fields west of said yard, called Guaire's lands'. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 15 June 2022