Church (in Ruins) — Hare Island

Situated 75m N of Lords Harbour on SE shoreline of Hare Island or Inis Ainghin at SE end of Lough Ree and 320km NW of the shoreline of county Westmeath. Medieval church originally dedicated to St. Ciarán of Clonmacnoise that was changed to the Blessed Virgin Mary in the later 12th or early 13th century. St. Ciarán of Clonmacnoise established an early monastic foundation on Inis Ainghin in the early 6th century before proceeding to Clonmacnoise, he was succeeded by Enna Mac Hui-Laigsi as abbot of Inis Ainghin (O'Hanlon 1873, 213, 219; Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 177). Ó Riain (2011, 170) wrote that 'the saint's former patronage was replaced by that of the Blessed Virgin, but rounds continued to be performed on 8 September, not only the feast of Mary's birth, but also the vigil of Ciarán's day'. The Martyrology of Donegal recorded that the 7th of September was the feastday of ‘Donnan, priest of Inis Ainghin’ who was according to the Life of Ciaran of Cluan ‘the son Senan’s brother who came to Ciaran, to Inis-Ainghin, and he and Senan had the same mother; and he left him the island, and also his Gospel and its true bearer, i.e. Maelodhrain’ (O’Donovan 1864). Some time after 1140 AD the early Christian monastery adopted the Rule of St. Augustine and became a cell of the priory of All Saints, on Saint’s Island, Co. Longford (LF026-016002-) (Hadcock 1964, 127-8; Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 178). The main community was probably transferred from Hare Island to the large Augustinian priory of All Saints founded by the Dillons at Saints Island, Co. Longford before 1259 (ibid.). According to Woods (1907, 3) the present church ruins are likely to be the remains of the Augustinian abbey erected by the Dillon family who were of Anglo-Norman descent. However the architectural fragments decorated with Romanesque carvings would suggest a pre-Norman date in the early 12th century for its construction. The church today stands in the diocese of but in the late 12th century this church belonged to the Diocese of Ardagh when it belonged to the Augustinian monks on Saints Island, Co. Longford. On Rocque's map dating from 1760 the boundary of Co. Longford was different from the present boundary and included Inchbofin, Inchmore and Hare Island, which were therefore, presumably, in the diocese of Ardagh until the boundary was changed (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 178). Ruins of a Romanesque church dedicated to St. Ciarán of Clonmacnoise and later to the Blessed Virgin Mary can be seen standing inside a bivallate monastic enclosure (WM022-028----) and graveyard (WM022-028003-). These ruins were described in 1976-78 as the remains of a rectangular nave (ext. dims. 10.45m E-W x 6.3m N-S) and chancel (ext. dims. 6.15m E-W x 4.8m N-S) church of which only the collapsed remains of the N wall survive with upstanding walls to E, S and W. The masonry is large in size and it is well constructed with some mortar still in-situ. The N wall is indicated by a line of collapsed rubble with some indication of a door opening toward the W end. The E gable survives close to full height and contains a small window of 12th century appearance. The dressed jambs of the inner embrasure of this window are still in-situ. The S wall is fairly well preserved and shows the recessed chancel line on the interior. There are traces of one side of a small window opening in the S wall. The W gable is still standing and contains a small, plain rectangular-shaped window. The poorly preserved chancel arch appears to date from the Romanesque period. Many fragments of large jambs with roll mouldings lie scattered around the inside and outside of the church and there are also fragments of capitals and voussoirs with chevron ornament. Compiled by: Alison McQueen, Vera Rahilly and Caimin O’Brien Date of upload: 16 July 2019