Cashel — Inishmurray

Located on elevated ground, roughly in the centre of the S half of Inishmurray Island, c. 100m from the rocky shore, and c. 300m NE of a rocky inlet or natural harbour, named Clashymore Harbour. This ecclesiastical enclosure, a National Monument (no. 117) in state ownership, takes the form of a cashel, and is named ‘Cashel’ on the 1912 OS 6-inch map. It was the focus of an important Early Medieval monastic settlement, traditionally said to have been founded by St. Molaise. The date of the founding of the monastery is unknown, but it was already well established by the 8th century; the death of one of its abbot was recorded for the year 752 in the Annals of Ulster, and a Viking raid on the monastery in the year 795 was recorded in the Annals of Inishfallen (O’Sullivan and T. Ó Carragáin 2008, 34-35). The principal buildings and features within the ecclesiastical enclosure include: three churches, St. Molaise’s chapel (SL001-001005-), Templemolaise (SL001-001009-) and Templenatinny (LS001-001009-); three clochans (SL001-001003-, SL001-001084-; SL001-001004-); four leachts (SL001-001013-; SL001-001019-; SL001-001021-; SL001-001043-); cursing stones (SL001-001015-); and a graveyard (SL001-001029-). A large number of cross-slabs, inscribed stones and pillar stones are known from the enclosure, some of which have been removed for safekeeping to the island’s abandoned schoolhouse, which was converted by the OPW for use as a conservation storehouse. Other buildings and structures associated with the monastic settlement are to be found outside, but in close proximity to, the cashel, many clustered along the shoreline to S and SE. They include a holy well (SL001-001031-), the Women’s Church (SL001-002001-) and graveyard (SL001-002007-), Relickoran burial ground (SL001-004003-) and a horizontal water mill (SL001-022001-). A number of isolated leachts (SL001-005002-; SL001-007002; SL001-008----; SL001-009002-; SL001-010003-; SL001-011----; SL001-013----; SL001-014001-; SL001-015----; SL001-016001-) are located at various points around the periphery of the island. They served as stations in a ‘turas’, a devotional circuit or pilgrimage, traditionally undertaken by pilgrims on the island’s 'pattern day', the Feast of the Assumption, August 15th. The ecclesiastical enclosure/cashel is incorporated into a system of rectilinear fields (SL001-023----), enclosed by drystone walls. These extend across the lowlying, fertile ground at the SE end of the island, and are associated with 19th-century settlement, the ruined, stone-built houses of which line a ‘street’, extending E−W close to the S shoreline of the island. There is evidence that these fields were superimposed on an earlier system of field boundaries. A survey of the archaeological remains on the island was undertaken in 1998-99 and published in J. O’Sullivan and T. Ó Carragáin 2008 Inishmurrary. Monks and pilgrims in an Atlantic landscape. Volume 1: Archaeological Survey and Excavations 1997-2000. Cork. The Collins Press. The following description of the ecclesiastical enclosure/cashel is derived from that publication: ‘A massive curvilinear wall (pear-shaped on a NE/SW axis) of drystone construction encloses an area of roughly 0.14 ha. The enclosure measures 52.5 m by 40.5 m. The walls are 3 m high and up to 4 m thick. On the west side, the inner wall face is stepped, though the steps narrow in places to form a mere scarcement rather than terraces or ramps. It is not known to what extent these features were rebuilt by the Board of Works in 1880. The series of small wall niches in the east sector is certainly modern work. On the other hand, the mural chambers which occur throughout the southern, western and northern sectors seem to be of a single build with the wall itself and are probably primary features. A common element of these is their style of construction: the side walls are raised in even courses of small or medium flat stones, brought to a fair face, and are capped by massive lintels, set over a few courses of corbelling where this is required by the span of the chamber. A notable exception is the souterrain-like feature (SL001-001087-) in the west sector: the roof of the end chamber is partly corbelled, as elsewhere, but the walls are formed by massive flat slabs set on edge. Two other mural chambers descend to ‘low openings’ or creepways which give access to the exterior (the outer openings are up to 0.8 m wide by 0.9 m high). There may once have been four of these ‘low openings’, but two are now blocked externally. There are also two regular entrances (i.e. narrow lintelled doorways up to 1.8 m in height and 1 m wide), in the south-east and north-east sectors. [There are a number of subdivisions within the cashel interior.] Northern subdivision: The most northerly arc of the Cashel wall is spanned by a low drystone wall – extending from Trahannacoreesh (SL001-001004-) in the east to near Teach Molaise (SL001-001005-) in the west – forming a small, roughly triangular area (c. 15 m by 6 m) of level grass. The wall is interrupted by a narrow opening or gap at its mid point. There is no visible evidence that this area has ever been used for burials. Western subdivision: A large portion of the interior of the Cashel, on the western side, is divided from the remainder by a drystone wall revetment which extends from near Teach Molaise (SL001-001005-) in the north to beyond Toorybrenell (SL001-001003-) in the south. At this point, the revetment reduces to a low drystone wall, terminating in a curved pier which is almost certainly modern. The remaining sector of the enclosure is defined by a linear rubble mound with a low kerb wall which conceals a souterrain-like creepway (SL001-001086-). The enclosure thus formed is roughly rhomboid-shaped, with maximum dimensions of 24 m by 15 m (east/west). The concentration of conjoined and adjacent buildings within it includes Templenatinny (SL001-001011-), Toorybrenell (SL001-001003-), a conjoining smaller clochan (SL001-0010084-), and three souterrain-like features (SL001-001002-; SL001-001086-; SL001-001087-). The revetment is pierced by a narrow passage or alley (length 14 m by width 1 m) which gives access to the doorways of Templenatinny, Toorybrenell and the smaller clochaun. Southern subdivision: Two low drystone walls extend from the inner face of the Cashel wall in its southern arc to form a small oval enclosure, measuring 15 m by 10 m. The two low walls meet at an angle formed by a tabular drystone structure which they abut (see 001.38, below). One modern cross upstanding on a marble plinth and several smaller rough stone flags indicate that the area has been used for burials.' Date of upload: 15 January 2018