Early Christian Ecclesiastical Settlement in Ireland 5th to 12th Centuries

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Prepared at NUI Maynooth


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FoundationGives the name of the site — generally in its Old Irish form, (if attested in early or medieval sources, or if it appears to be readily reconstructable) otherwise the modern English placename is given.:		Documented AssociationGives the names of Early Christian ecclesiastics (the DIB terms such individuals often regarded as founders of churches — saints in the Irish tradition), whose association with the sites concerned is based on documentary sources.:		LineageThis records the reputed ancestral lines of individuals given in Doc Assoc.:
Traditional AssociationGives the names of Early Christian ecclesiastics whose association with the sites concerned is based on tradition, dedication or placename association.:		TownlandGives the townland (name spelt as in TTPBI Index) in which the site is (or is thought to be) located.:		ParishGives the civil (not ecclesiastical) parish in which the townland is situated.:
DeaneryThis records the rural deanery (a sub-division of the diocese) to which the parish belongs.:		DioceseThis records the medieval (not necessarily the same as the modern) diocese in which the foundation lies.:		BaronyGives the modern barony (as in TTPBI Index the baronies were rationalised in 19thC) in which the townland and civil parish are situated.:
CountyGives the county in which the barony lies.:		ProvinceGives both the civil province in which the county lies and the ecclesiastical province to which the diocese belongs.:		SourcesThis is concerned almost exclusively with hagiographical sources (mainly Lives of the saints, martyrologies and genealogies of the saints) and relates to the individuals and lineages in Doc Assoc and Lineage.:
Recorded HistoryThis concerns the subsequent history of the site, with emphasis on pre-Norman (or early post-Norman) native sources mainly annals but also including medieval ecclesiastical records (charters or taxations), English Crown documents and, on occasion, modern sources (especially surveys or maps, which may mark the location of lost sites or illuminate placenames).:		Clerical StatusThis seeks to classify foundations as episcopal coarbial or eremitic based on the clerical orders ascribed to the reputed founder, the later succession-record or the placename of the site.:		GenderThis seeks to classify foundations as male or female based on the gender of the reputed founder, the later succession-record or the placename of the site.:
Succession RecordLists ecclesiastics, male or female, who succeeded to offices at the foundation concerned abbots, abbesses, comarbai, bishops often clerics of less exalted rank such as treasurers, lectors, scribes. These lists make no claim to be exhaustive; fuller accounts for major sites can be found in the New History of Ireland, vol. 8, and in published prosopographies.:		Medieval DedicationNotes medieval church-dedications to saints whether Irish or Continental.:		Familial LinksIndicates links between foundations, whether claimed in hagiographical sources (a lesser site said to have submitted to greater site), attested by charter, or indicated by tradition or placename evidence.:
Folk TraditionRecords traditional stories, beliefs or practices (especially pilgrimages or patterns), or a tradition of clandestine burial either recorded or inferred from location names such as the killeen or the caldragh.:		Field RemainsRecords physical remains of sites, whether visible in the field or accessed through excavation. Precedence is given to features considered to be characteristic of the Early Christian/pre-Reform era, such as enclosures, (especially circular or oval), cross-slabs, high-crosses, bullauns and raised areas — with round towers and church remains further down the list unless there is a strong case for doing otherwise.:		ArtifactsIn general, this records only items which may support the case for the site as a pre-Reform ecclesiastical settlement (especially croziers, shrines, chalices etc) — whether recovered by search or excavation, or merely associated with the site by tradition. Also included are such items as querns and kilns as flour-production was an important part of life at ecclesiastical (although also, admittedly, at secular) settlement sites.:
BibliographyMentions secondary references (sometimes very select indeed) to the site concerned. Some contain detailed discussion, others (especially where little else seems to be available) only the briefest mentions. For details see the Bibliography page.:		AddendumIncludes fragments of additional information (or comments on the part of the compilers) relating to the site in question.:

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FoundationGives the name of the site — generally in its Old Irish form, (if attested in early or medieval sources, or if it appears to be readily reconstructable) otherwise the modern English placename is given.	AddendumIncludes fragments of additional information (or comments on the part of the compilers) relating to the site in question.
Aighan	OS 98: nr Bruckless
An Bhanrainn Bhán	OS 91: nr Oughterard
Balla (Balna)	OS 90: Termonn of (Lec); Muirchú of Balla guarantor of Cáin Adomnáin; links with Uí Fiachrach
Ballybaan*	OS 94: An Baile Bán Beag? nec pre-Reform? med par ch?
Boheh	OS 97: antiquity of Patrician assoc? satellite of Achad Fobair?
Br[e]adach*	OS 9; not nec pre-reform; possibly med par. ch.
Carrigagown	OS 9
Cathair Pátraic	OS 94; otherwise Oileán na Naomh (O'D: OSL); cross design perhaps 7th-early 8thC (Henry)
Cell Alachtáin?*	OS 99: nec pre-reform?
Cell Bairrfind	OS 9: note C. Berráin (Boll.; see Hogan, 177); Cill Bharráin (Ó Cearbhaill)
Cell Biolair	OS 9: poss EC site?
Cell Brigte	OS 91: nth of Lough Masc; nr Ballintober
Cell Cailchíne	OS 9/10; early eccl site? Cailchín (feast 10 Feb) frater of Fachtna; possessions incl Muckalee (qv)
Cell Cholmáin	OS 91: nr Claremorris; possible EC site assoc with native st
Cell Chúile	OS 99?: in Tuath Muigi Finne; 'Ui Mucada - aicme CC' (Lec)
Cell na gClérech	OS 99
Cell na Manach	OS 9, 15: nr L. Gara; Dabonna (feastday 6 Feb) putative discip of Patrick
Cell na Secht n-Ingen (Cashleen)	OS 9: Caislín (Killary Harbour) - also named 'Church of the Seven Daughters' on OS map
Cell Ua Tigernáin	OS 9: poss EC site assoc with Uí Tigernáin? Cill Ó dTiarnáin
Church Isd	OS 99
Clare Island	OS 94: poss earlier eccl settlement?
Cordarragh	OS 98: EC site (Killeennimhe)
Cúil Echtrann	OS 9: site called Magheratemple in Down survey
Derrycoagh (Cluain na Cille)	OS 9: in mod par Ballinameen
Derrylahan	OS 96 (not D., Kilcar, Banagh)
Druim bó	OS 9
Drumbeg	OS 9
Drum/Knockatemple	OS 90: EC site (cross-slab)?
Elmhall	OS 90; EC site (Ballycarra ch)
Gweeshadan*	OS 90: nec pre-reform?
Inber Náile	OS 98: local GAA club is St Naul's
Inis Gluaire	OS 9, 16: Tempall na mban => womens' community - late?
Inis meic Adaim	OS 90: Tempall Inis Mac Adhaimh - on W side of Casla Bay
Inis Tuirc	OS 94
Kilbeg	OS 96
Killaghtee	OS 98
Killeena[n]	OS 9; same site as Clough Seir Gobban?
Killeen	OS 90: possible link with Cell Meic-Duach (qv), bar Kilmaine?
Kill	OS 97
Kilmacreddan	OS 98: possible assoc with Meic Cuiretan (LL 369cf) - uncertain
Kilnadur	OS 94; mkd 'Kill grave yd' on 1842 OS map; 'disused' on 1904 map
Knockaunncarragh*	OS 93: An Cnocán Carrach - nec pre-reform?
Knockcollumkill	OS 9
Lankill	OS 98: possible pre-reform site assoc with native st
Loona More	OS 90
Mag nÉo	OS 91: foundation c.670 by St Colmán; intensive land use - arable farming - introd of rye
Mishells	OS 96: ref of 1199 rel to Midísel? (O'Donoghue) if so is this fndt of Colmán s of Eochaid?
Oilén Dachruinne	OS 9
Port Lairge*	OS 9: anciently Glenn na nGleod/Cuan na Grioth; poss EC fndt pre-dating consecr of 1st bishop of Waterford 1096?
Portroyal/Odba Cheru	OS 99: nr Ballinrobe; Odbhacheara (Archdall - if this site intended) - Baile Odbha
Rathún	OS 94
Rinnakill	OS 96
Ros Camm	OS 94:8:2 - Odrán of Letracha? (qv); this site intended (Chron.Scot) rather than Ros Commáin (Ann.Ult) - invadrunt/inradh (raided)
Ros Loíg	OS 90: identif (MacShamhráin) is tentative; Rosslee (bar. Carra) is a parish centre
Shalwy (Kilkieran)	OS 97: EC site assoc with Ciarán?; wooden statue of st at well - E. Mod?
Sleenoge	OS 94; ch in good repair in 1615 (Brady)
Sliab Liacc	OS 90: Slieve League
Spidéal*	OS 92: An Spidéal Thiar - pre-reform foundataion on site? doubtful
St Brigit's (Cell Brígte?)	OS 9.16.2: possible EC site, gtd to Knights Templars 1224 and to Knights Hospitallers 1313
St Doologue's*	OS 9.12.5: early ch assoc with native St Dúilech, later dedic to Scandinavian St Olave?
St Nicholas'	OS 94:2:5
St Peter's	OS 9.12.5; earliest ref. dates to 1314
Trumman*	OS 99: assoc with a certain Máel-Sechnaill? nec a pre-reform site?