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Cam Church (in Ruins) — Cam

Church
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Cam Church (in Ruins) — Cam
Photo: Graham Horn · Open the original picture · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Report the wrong picture · If this is your picture and you want it taken down, email me.
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What is recorded here

Situated towards the top of a NE-facing slope of Cam Hill. The parish church of Cam is probably on the site of an earlier church. The coarb of Camach Brighdi is mentioned on a 15th century document (O'Donovan 1843, 79). The church is a rectangular structure (ext. dims 22.7m E-W; 7.3m N-S) surviving complete with rebuilt walls and dressed limestone quoins. There is only one doorway with a re-constructed pointed head (Wth 1.06m; H 2m) towards the W end of the N wall. A rebuilt round-headed opening (Wth 1.25m; H c. 4m) in the W wall is probably not original. There is a double lancet window in the E wall and single lancets towards the E end of the N (round-headed) and S (renewed ogee-headed) walls. The graveslab (RO048-099004-) of Walter Lister of Milltown but originally from Yorkshire, which is dated 1622, is in the NE angle of the church, and the graveslab beside it (RO048-099007-) could also be 17th century in date (Denny 1907-09; 1911-12), as might a third graveslab (RO048-099008-) with a latin cross in false relief. Five other graveslabs set in the floor of the church are illegible. A fragment of a font (RO048-099005-) is inside the church and a bullaun stone (RO048-099009-) is now set inside the doorway on the W side as a stoup. The stoup (RO048-108005-) at Brideswell holy well (RO048-108001-) is thought to have come from this church. The church is within a rectangular graveyard (RO048-099002-) (dims c. 60m NW-SE-W; c. 55m NE-SW) defined by masonry walls which is within the remains of a large ecclesiastical enclosure (RO048-099003-) (original diam. c. 150m) defined by the foundations of a stone wall (Wth 2.4m) largely obscured by field stones SW-NW (Chord c. 100m) and with slight traces of an outer fosse WNW-NW. The graveyard has been extended N to the E-W Athlone - Tuam road (R 363) (L c. 140m). The site of a well (RO048-100----) is c. 350m to the NE. See the attached general view from the SE, and aerial views by Markus Casey made c. 2004 Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 24 August 2010

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