Oratory (in ruins) — Inis Mhic Aoibhleáin

National Monument No. 63. Inishvickillane, the southernmost of the Blasket islands, lies 7 miles SW of Slea Head and 9 miles from the nearest embarkation point at Dunquin pier. The nearest island to it is Inishnabro, a quarter of a mile to the N, and the SW tip of the Great Blasket lies 2 miles to the NE. The island has an area of 199 acres and the Early Christian monastic settlement lies at the SE end of the island, on the E slopes of a rocky buff which rises prominently above the remainder of the island. The enclosed fields to E and S of the settlement may represent a continuation from the Early Christian period or may be the work of the later historic settlers. The earliest reference to the island, found in the Register of the Hospital of St. John the Baptist in Dublin, dates to the early 13th century and is 'a deed of gift from Adam Dundno of a mark of silver owed to him by Ricardus de Marisc as annual rent' for the island (Stagles 1980, 118). It is not known to what use the island was put at that time. It was uninhabited in 1756 (Smith, 183) but was intermittently occupied by one or more families during the 19th century and into the 20th century (Stagles, 121). The monastery is not defined by a formal enclosure but the main focus of the settlement, including the oratory (1), graveyard (2), leacht (3), a possible hut-site (4) and a holy well (5), consists of an irregular area, roughly1/2 an acre in extent, on the E slopes of a rocky buff which reaches a maximum height of 453 feet/138m OD about 100m to SW of the monastery for which it provides a limited amount of shelter from the prevailing winds. The area slopes markedly downhill to E but this has been somewhat counteracted by terracing of the hillslope. It is defined to NW by a large rocky crag, to W by the uphill edge of the westernmost terrace which is revetted with large boulders and may formerly have been surmounted by a wall, to S by a large rock and by a line of large boulders, and to E by the lower edge of the easternmost terrace, surmounted for most of its length by a drystone wall which then turns W to enclose the NE part of the site. The W half of the area thus defined is featureless except for some terracing, but it has been disturbed by the recent construction of a water reservoir. The E half of the site is sub-divided into 3 distinct, irregularly-shaped areas or enclosures which are defined by a combination of large boulders, drystone walls and terracing. The southernmost of these is devoid of features. The central one, measuring 16m N-S x 13m E-W, is occupied by a possible house-site (4). The northernmost enclosure measures c. 21m E-W x 17m N-S and is defined along its S and E sides by the stone wall which surmounts the edge of the terrace and along its N and W sides by a loosely-built and poorly-preserved wall which, at its S end, turns E to meet the oratory. The enclosure is occupied by the oratory, graveyard, leacht and stone cross and also formerly contained 2 cross-slabs (6) and a cross-inscribed ogham stone (7). A stone font (8) and a stone lamp (9) were formerly housed within the oratory. Two possible hut-sites (10 and 11) lie outside the main focus of the settlement. (1) (KE061-006001-) A rectangular dry stone oratory measuring 3.96m N-S x 3.08m E-W internally. The walls, 1 to 1.25m thick, are preserved to a height of c. 1.7m but exhibit no trace of corbelling. The W wall has been repaired from c. 0.4m above floor level, the collapse here probably due to pressure from the rising ground level externally. The oratory is unusual in that the lintelled doorway, .53m wide x 1.08m high, is positioned in the E wall and, as a result, the E window, which normally occupies a central position, is situated near the SE corner. The splayed ope of the latter now lacks its head and rear arch, but was probably lintelled in a similar manner to the doorway. A thin flag, .25 x .16m, which projects below the E window was probably an altar stone. The enclosure wall which extends W from the oratory is unlikely to be contemporary with it as it obscures the external angle at SW. (2) (KE061-006003-) The enclosed area to the E of the oratory and surrounding the leacht appears to have been used as a burial ground. This is suggested by the presence of a few low orthostats and by the former presence of the cross-slabs. (3) (KE061-006004-) The leacht consists of a rectangular mound of stone faced on all sides with neatly-built drystone masonry. It measures 7.45m N-S x 2.35m E-W x 1.03m in height. A small rectangular lintelled chamber, 1m long, .43m wide and .43m high, extends into the leacht at ground level on the W side. A thin slab, .8m high x .63m wide, stands upright on the S end of the leacht and a stone cross, 1.06m high and .42m wide, stands loosely upright at its N end. (4) (KE061-006005-) This possible hut-foundation consists of an oval area, 5 x 3.2m, enclosed by a stony bank, .3 to .5m high, which is revetted internally with large boulders; a large boulder also lines the W side of the .75m wide entrance gap at NW. An oval hollow, 3 x 2m, lies directly E of this structure. (5) (KE061-006006-) A partly stone-lined depression, c. 8m NW of the oratory, may mark the site of the well noted by the OS. There is a vague tradition that it was formerly considered holy (Ó Danachair 1960, 77). (6) (KE061-006007-) Macalister (1949, 44) recorded an inscribed stone lying on the S wall of the oratory but this is now missing. It bore a small cross followed by the inscription: OR DO MACRUED Ú DALACH A 2nd stone inscribed with a 'plain cross of 2 lines' lay within the graveyard (Macalister 1902, 46). (7) (KE061-006008-) When first discovered by Windele, the cross-inscribed ogham stone lay in front of the oratory (Brash 1879, 226) but by 1901 it had been placed as a lintel in that building (Macalister 1902, 44) and in 1902 it was removed to Trinity College, Dublin (Foley 1903, 91) where it remains today. It is a rectangular stone measuring 1.05m in height and .15 to .18m in width across the sides. Each of the 4 faces is inscribed with a cross of different form and one of the angles is used as a stem-line for an ogham inscription. A plain Latin cross is carved on each of 2 opposed faces. A 3rd face bears a swastika motif, elongated to resemble a cross; the crossing of arms and shaft is enclosed by a square. The 4th face bears a Latin cross, the head and shaft of which bifurcate to form triangular terminals. The junction of shaft and arms is formed by a square and the arms by equilateral triangles attached to each side of this; each of these triangles is divided by a line into two right-angles. The ogham inscription is inverted with respect to the crosses, and the deep, but narrow incisions have suffered much damage and many are unclear. The inscription was read by Macalister (1945, 178-9) as: (CO?)BB(A?) AVI VLATIAMI MAQ.... (8) (KE061-006009-) Portion of a stone font remained in the oratory until recently when it was taken for safekeeping into the Haughey residence on the island. It measures .18 to .2m in height and .25m across (O'Leary and Snodgrass 1976, 13). A small cross has been lightly inscised on the outside (information: Mr. Haughey). (9) The stone lamp or cresset-stone, originally interpreted as a chalice, is now preserved in the NMI (P. 1139) (Moore 1984, 115; Armstrong 1907, 322). It consists of a small stone vessel, 17.6cm high, with a tapering stem and a hollowed expansion at the wider end. The latter would have formed the reservoir for the liquid fuel of the lamp. Associated with the lamp was a small oval hollowed stone with an incised line just below its rounded rim. Though originally interpreted as a 'paten', the function of this latter object is uncertain. (10) (KE061-006014-) Several accounts mention a beehive-hut near the oratory and the site of a square hut was recorded in the OSM and on the OS maps. It is not certain whether 1 or more huts are in question nor is their location sure. However,