Outlined — Nun's Island

Church (WM015-005001-) standing inside possible ecclesiastical enclosure located on low rise of ground on Nun's Island in Lough Ree. The island of Inchmore containing the ruins of a medieval church (WM015-011----) is located 1.6km to the E. In 1641 the nuns of the order of St. Clare who had a convent (WM015-002---) in the townland of Bethlehem close to the shoreline of Lough Ree, fled their foundation and took temporary refuge from Cromwellian forces on this island where there was an existing medieval church (Gilbert 1879, 58). The island may have been later renamed Nun's Island in memory of this event. The original nunnery (WM015-002----) in Bethlehem is located 7km to the NE of Nun’s Island. Present remains consist of a medieval church (WM015-010001-) ruins located in the N quadrant of Nun's Island. The medieval church ruins appear to be standing inside an irregular shaped enclosure (dims. 96m N-S; 100m E-W) defined by a drystone wall (H 0.5-1.2m; Wall T 1.5-3.5m) now covered in ivy and scrub vegetation making detailed examination impossible. This irregular-shaped enclosure which may be contemporaneous with the church, could be the remains of an ecclesiastical enclosure. The enclosure is depicted as an irregular shaped field boundary on the 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map. The monument was previously surveyed by the ASI in 1976 and described as following: 'The small island is covered with a thick growth of scrub and trees. The church ruins are located toward the northern end of the island and are enclosed by a roughly built but strong stone wall some 3.50m wide on N side. The wall is much tumbled of approx. heart-shaped plan with a number of internal walls of lesser proportions probably later in date. The church ruins are covered in ivy and the only surviving features - a fine 12th/13th cent. window - is in a state of near collapse' (SMR File 31/08/1976). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 9 July 2014