Ecclesiastical enclosure in Leataoibh Mór

Templenacloonagh/Teampall na Cluanach: This sub-rectangular enclosure lies on a very gentle WNW facing slope and commands a good clear view in all directions, particularly NW to Smerwick Harbour. Within it can be seen the remains of an oratory, a 2nd building which is possibly a church, and 2 possible hut sites. Two leacht-type features are also present and 2 cross-inscribed pillar stones stand at the W side of the westernmost of these. A 3rd cross-inscribed stone lies loose on the wall of the larger building. Children were still being interred here in the 19th century (OSNB Kilmalkedar, 31) and the numerous graves and gravemarkers spread about the interior probably relate to this secondary calluragh phase at the site. The graves are marked either by long thin slabs set on edge, on average .5m high x .5 to .75m wide x .2m thick, or by box-like arrangements of small stones on edge enclosing an area on average 1 to 1.2m x .6m. The enclosure measures 40.75m N-S x 32.25m E-W internally and is defined along its S and E sides by a stone and earth bank, no more than .7m high and faced intermittently with dry stone masonry, along its N side by a gentle drop of .3m from the interior to the external ground level, and along its W side by a dry stone-built wall measuring 1 to 1.5m in width and a maximum of .5m internally and 1.2m externally in height. Differences in construction between various parts of this latter wall suggest that it has undergone considerable rebuilding, probably related to its more recent use as a field boundary. Another field wall, now disused, bisects the site E-W. Oratory: Located in the SE part of the enclosure, this rectangular drystone oratory, 4.55m x 3.35m internally, now lacks its corbelled roof. The N wall stands to a height of 1.65m, but the remaining walls, 1.3 to 1.07m thick, are poorly preserved. Only the splayed inner sill of the E window, .51m wide, survives. It is carved from a reused door pivot stone and a 2nd pivot stone lies outside the S wall of the oratory. The W doorway, .76m wide, had inclining jambs, only the lower sections of which survive. Rectangular Building: The name Templenacloonagh is applied both to the overall site and to one of the buildings in the interior. On the OS 25-inch map, it is clearly applied to the rectangular drystone building in the NE corner of the enclosure. Only the E wall and attached sections of the N and S walls survive, to a maximum height of 1m. The building measures 6m N-S internally; the surviving S wall is 6.4m long but the W limit of the structure, indicated as a square on the 1st edition of the OS map, cannot now be determined. The walls vary in thickness from 1.3 to 1.7m. A stony bank, bisecting the interior c. 3.7m from the E wall, may be a later feature. The central doorway in the E wall is .83m wide; in contrast to the rubble fabric of the walls, neatly-wrought blocks are evident in the slightly splayed ingoings. Hut Sites: A stony bank extends W from the N wall of the rectangular building to a confused group of low stony mounds, less than .4m high, which may mark the position of 2 conjoined huts. Their precise shapes and dimensions are not clear. Leachts: Centrally positioned in the S half of the enclosure are 2 parallel mounds of stone, including a large quantity of quartz. The W mound measures 5.5m N-S x 2.5m E-W x .6m in height and its W limit is marked by the 2 cross-inscribed stones and by a single course of stone facing. The E mound measures 5.25m N-S x 3.5m E-W x .6m in height. Cross-inscribed stones: (1) The S stone stands 1.58m high and is .32m wide at base. Its W face is inscribed with a triple-barred cross, the crossing of the shaft and upper bar being formed by an outline lozenge. There are bifurcated terminals to the upper and lower arms and hook-like bifurcated terminals to the head and base of the cross; the terminals of the middle bar take the form of outline triangles. A small plain cross occurs near the base of the same face. (2) The N stone stands 1.52m high but has broken across the top. Its E face is inscribed with a Latin cross with expanded terminals. The W face is inscribed with a series of 4 crosses, one above the other. The uppermost cross has expanded terminals to its side arms but its head is now missing. Pendant from the end of its shaft is a circle, within which is an equal-armed cross with bar terminals. Below this is a Latin cross with a bar terminal to its head, expanded terminals to the arms and a scrolled terminal at base. The lowermost cross has expanded terminals to head and arms but its stem is now partly buried beneath the ground surface. (3) An oblong boulder measuring .49m x .35m x .32m thick. A roughly equal-armed cross with T-bar terminals is carved on one face. The above description is derived from J. Cuppage, ‘Corca Dhuibhne. Dingle Peninsula archaeological survey. Ballyferriter. Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne’ (1986), no. 866. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 9 August 2013