St. Kierans Church (in ruins)

On E-facing slope of An Bhinn Bhuí overlooking Cuan Cill Chiaráin. Traditionally the site of an E. Chr. church founded by St Ciarán, the remains consist of a small, poorly preserved, oratory (E-W; L 3.8m, Wth 2.8m) with only the foundation and one or two courses of stonework visible. No architectural features survive. A small burial ground to ENE contains a roughly rectangular drystone shrine (L 1.75m, Wth 1.35m, H 0.8m). A holy well lies to ENE (GA077-015----). (Killanin 1954, 103; O'Flanagan 1927a, Vol. 3, 115, 125; Robinson 1985, 55) The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Galway Vol. I - West Galway'. Compiled by Paul Gosling (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1993). Date of upload: 05 August 2010

St. Kieran's Church (Cill Chiaráin) is traditionally attributed to St. Ciarán, a 6th-century monastic founder associated with the early Christian spread in Ireland. The small oratory, oriented east-west, reflects an early Christian ecclesiastical style and is significant as a possible early monastic site linked to one of Ireland's important saints.