Outlined — An Baile Riabhach

Templemanaghan/Teampall Mhanacháin or Teampall Geal and its associated burial ground lie on the lower E slopes of Lateevemore and command a magnificent view over Dingle Harbour and the Milltown valley. The outline of the original enclosure is suggested by the sub-semicircular field wall that bounds the W side of the site and a 2m long section of stone facing, only 1 course high, directly inside the wall at N, may have been part of the original wall or bank. Though the S and E sides of the site are now unenclosed, the interior is relatively level in comparison with the steep natural hillslope below (broken hachures on accompanying plan) and the main W part of the site is separated from a lower terrace to E by an ill-defined scarp. Windele (1848, 404-5) mentioned that portion of a great oval embankment or earthen rampart existed to E of the oratory and mention of an old circular embankment is also made in the OSNB (Dingle, book 2, 13). This had been removed by 1875 (Dunraven, 58). Dunraven was informed locally that a number of small buildings had also been removed from the site in recent times. These latter may have been hut sites and the low grass-grown foundations to NE of the oratory and to W of the ogham stone may be the remains of 2 of these. However, too little survives for definite interpretation. A souterrain (KE043-140004-), known as Poulnasaggart/Poll na Sagart, at the W extremity of the site, is now inaccessible. The well entrance lies at the E side of a subcircular mound measuring 5.4m N-S x 4.8m E-W x 1.1m in height. The drystone-built chamber to W of the entrance is not accessible but is c. 1.35m high and at least 2m long. Two further chambers were formerly accessible (OPW). The oratory (KE043-140002-) stands at the E side of the site and a cross-inscribed ogham stone stands on a modern platform in front of it. Cross-inscribed gravemarkers stand to N of the oratory. Two cross-slabs and other miscellaneous carved fragments lie inside the oratory and 4 stones of its inner face bear simple crosses. Another cross-slab noted by Macalister is now missing. Children were still being interred in the burial ground (KE043-140003-) in the 19th century (OSNB) and a turas made on Easter Sunday includes a visit to the oratory, to Poulnasaggart and to Tobermanaghan (KE043-141----) which lies c. 150m to S. Templemanachan Fig. 150: The rectangular drystone oratory, 3.35m N-S x 4.4m E-W internally, now lacks its corbelled roof and sections of the N and E walls have been largely rebuilt. The walls, which vary in thickness up to 1.6m, are built of split stone and rubble with some boulders; the inward curve of the gables is less marked than that of the side walls. The S wall, c. 2m in height, rests externally on a projecting stone plinth, partly revetted by orthostats. The E gable, 1.5m in height, has a central splayed ope with stepped sill; the window now lacks its head and the outer sill stone is inscribed with a triple-barred linear groove, but the whole may be refurbished. There is an L-shaped recess in the N wall. The W gable, preserved to a height of 2.75m, has a central lintelled doorway inclining in elevation; the slightly splayed ingoings have been partly reset in mortar and the threshold is paved. Two broken pivot stones are visible in the interior wall face, above the head of the doorway. An undecorated stone finial, similar in outline to that found at Church Island, near Valencia (O'Kelly 1958, 94-6), has been restored to the W gable. Ogham stone (KE043-140008-) Fig. 148: Traditionally regarded as marking the grave of St. Manchan, this stone stands c. 1.75m high and is .56m wide at base. The ogham inscrits NE angle reads: QENILOCI MAQI MAQI-AINIA MUC(... There is no trace whatsoever of the inscription in half uncial script which Macalister (1945, 163-4) noted beside the ogham inscription and which, according to him, read: FECT QUENILOC The E face of the stone bears a plain equal-armed cross. A roughly equal-armed cross on the W face has an expanded terminal to its upper arm. A notch on the N angle of the stone may formerly have been a circular hole. Cross-slabs: (1) Fig. 151a This large boulder lies c. 10m to N of the oratory and measures 1.55m in length SE-NW, .62m in height and .15 to .4m in thickness. A small Latin cross and a Latin cross within an irregular circle are inscribed on its W face; the terminals of the latter are slightly expanded. (2) Fig. 151f This stone stands c. 8m to N of (1) and 2m to E of (3). It is .67m high and .35m wide at base. Its W face bears an equal-armed cross with expanded terminals within a circle. (3) Fig. 151c Both faces of this stone are inscribed with a cross-in-circle. The ends of the cross on the E face project beyond the circle. The upper and lower arms of the cross on the W face also project beyond the circle and the stem ends in an unusual quatrefoil motif. (4) Fig. 151e Lying on the floor of the oratory, this cross-slab, now broken at the base, measures .5m in length, .33m in width and .1m in thickness. Its upper surface is inscribed with a double-barred Latin cross. (5) Fig. 151b A fragment of a cross-slab lying on the floor of the oratory. It measures .72m x .55m x .04 to .08m thick. The decoration on its upper surface may have been part of a cross-in-circle but now consists of an irregular inscribed arc bisected by a line. Another line runs across the face of the stone to meet a diagonal line at the opposite edge. A notch on one edge suggests that the broken stone was at some stage reused as a gravemarker. (6) Fig. 15Id g, h and i Three boulders in the inner wall-face of the oratory are inscribed respectively with 4, 2 and 1 simple equal-armed crosses and a 4th bears an equal-armed cross with expanded terminals. (7) The cross-slab recorded by Macalister (1949, 95) lay on the window sill in the oratory but is now missing. One face bore an equal-armed cross with expanded terminals, and the letters O/R/AR/TH were faintly traceable in the cantons. The back of the stone was inscribed with a plain equal-armed cross. Miscellaneous fragments: A stone fragment on the floor of the oratory is inscribed with 2 parallel grooves, .55m apart, which extend the full length, 1.37m, of the stone. Other markings on its surface may be natural. Another fragment bears an inscribed arc at one edge. Two other fragments within the oratory may be parts of quern stones. The above description is derived from J. Cuppage, ‘Corca Dhuibhne. Dingle Peninsula archaeological survey. Ballyferriter. Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne’ (1986), no. 824. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 8 August 2013