Kilnanare Church (in ruins) — Kilnanare

Kilnanare (Cill na nAodhán) Church ruins stand in the N half of a graveyard (KE047-044003-), on or near the site of an earlier church (KE047-044001-). It appears as Kyllmeyneayn or perhaps Kyllnayneayn in C.P.L., v. 153, where we learn that it was impropriate to the priory of Killaha (cf. no. 23). In nos. 56 and 108 the spelling is Kilmoneayn and Kyllmaneayn. These various spellings are worthy of note because the civil parish which is marked on the O.S. map is now known as Kilnanare, which some think is a corruption of of Cill-na-naon for an older form Cill-na-nAedhán (O'Connell and Costello 1958,15). The parish of Kilnanare is situated in the barony of Magunihy. The ruins of a rectangular church (c. 16.2m NE-SW; 6.7m NW-SE) comprising the crumbling remains of the S and W walls and the foundations of the N and E walls. A pointed doorway arch, which was described in 1841 (OSL, 200) has collapsed. A window ope at the E end of the S wall has a cusped ogee-headed light (Wth 0.19m). The remains of a pointed aumbry niche (Wth 0.42m; H 0.4m), which is partially obscured by overgrowth, is at the E end of the S wall. The interior of the church contains numerous burials. Two stone sculptures (KE047-044005-, KE047-044006-) and a number of architectural fragments (KE047-044004-, KE047-044007-, KE047-044008-) are associated with this church. Compiled by: Elizabeth Byrne, Ursula Egan and Sheila Ronan, Archaeological Survey Unit, University College, Cork. Date of upload: 31 January 2011