Kilbennen
Cill Bheanáin | |
| File:Kilbennan Church and Round Tower 2010 09 16.jpg | |
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 411: Malformed coordinates value. | |
| Monastery information | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Kilbannon; Kilbennan; Cell-beneoin; Dun Lughaid |
| Order | Franciscans (15th century) |
| Established | late 5th century AD |
| Disestablished | 15th/16th century |
| Diocese | Tuam |
| People | |
| Founder | Benignus of Armagh |
| Architecture | |
| Status | ruined |
| Style | Celtic |
| Site | |
| Location | Pollacorragune, Tuam, County Galway |
| Coordinates | Lua error in Module:Coordinates at line 489: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). |
| Visible remains | Church and round tower |
| Public access | yes |
| Official name | Kilbennen |
| Reference no. | 48 |
Kilbennen or Kilbannon is a medieval ecclesiastical site and National Monument located in County Galway, Ireland.[1][2]
Location
[edit | edit source]Kilbennen is located 3.7 km (2.3 mi) northwest of Tuam, on the far side of the River Clare.[3]
History
[edit | edit source]The monastery here was founded by Benignus of Armagh (Benin, Benen, Bennan), a disciple of Saint Patrick,[4] in the 5th century AD, although the Book of Armagh associates it with a different Benignus, of the Luighne Connacht.[5] Iarlaithe mac Loga (Saint Jarlath) studied here in the 6th century.[6]
The Annals of the Four Masters record the burning of Kilbennen in 1114.[7] In 1148 they record the death of Ceallach Ua Domhnagain, "noble head of Cill-Beneoin."[8]
The Franciscans built a church c. 1428.[9]
Some conservation work was done in 1880–81.[citation needed]
The church is surrounded by a wall and a graveyard, where some ancient crosses and slabs can be seen.
Ruins and monuments
[edit | edit source]
The limestone round tower is badly damaged and stands 16.5 m (54 ft) tall at its highest point and 4.8 m (16 ft) in diameter. It has a sandstone doorway 4.56 m (15.0 ft) off the ground.[10]
Both gables are standing on the church. The east gable had a twin-light cusped ogee-headed window.[11]
A holy well is located to the northwest, where Bennin is said to have healed nine lepers.[12]
References
[edit | edit source]- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).