churches historical galway

The saint's festival is on 16 July, when pilgrims come to the island from the mainland. The saint was venerated so much by sailors that they lowered their sails in his honour when they passed the island. The church is a small rectangular structure built of very large stones. It has a flat-headed doorway and a round-headed east window.

The most unusual feature of this church is that the antae continue right up the gable and meet at the top, thus suggesting that this is a feature copie...

Situated 3km north-west of Kilmurvey, the miscalled - Seven Churches - mark an ancient site dedicated to Saint Breacan. The name is loosely applied to the remains of two small churches, Teampall Bhreacain and Teampaill an Phoill. Close to the churches, on the south-west, is Leaba an Spioraid Naoimh (bed of the Holy Spirit), a penitential station with fragments of a figured high cross. Nearby, to the south-east, is Leaba Bhreacain, another station.

To the north of Leaba an Spioraid Naoi...

Teallach Eanna situated slightly east of the village of Cinn Eanna (Killeany) is regarded as the holiest place on Aran, with, according to tradition, the graves of 1200 saints.

All that remains here is a small early church, and the shaft of a finely-carved high cross. A few yards to the north-west of the doorway is a leac or flagstone, which is said to cover the grave of Saint Eanna....

Teampall Beanan (Temple Benan) near Arkin Castle and higher up, prominently silhouetted on the skyline, is the small church of Saint Benan dating from early Christian times....

Spiddal Church; The Roman Catholic church in this village is renowned for its architectural excellence. Designed by William Scott and completed in 1904, it is Celtic Romenesque in style, an attempted revival of one of the great periods of Irish Architecture....

The name may mean - church of the Canons - or may refer to St Gregory Cheannfhionnadh (the - fair-headed - ). St Gregory's name is also commemorated in Sundra Ghriora, Gregory's Sound, the channel between Inis Meain and Inis Mor. The church is a typical 8th-9th century stone building, and is complete except for the roof, which must have been wood-framed. It is surrounded by grave slabs and it was here that the island buried its people until fifty years ago....

Pilgrim's Church; at the south-east corner of Gorumna Island is the church referred to as the - Pilgrim's Church - ....

A diminutive early church or oratory, prominently situated on a bare limestone ridge above the village of Killeany on Inishmore, largest of the three Aran Islands in Galway bay. It takes its name from a fifth-century saint, Benen or Benignus, but is later than his time.

It is however of considerable antiquity and several of its features are indicative of a date possibly in the eight or ninth century: the steeply pitched gables, narrow trabeate doorway with inclined jambs, and the except...

The monastery was founded early in the 7th century by St. Colman son of Duagh, a member of one of the local royal families. It has one of the finest collections of churches in Ireland. The most conspicuous feature is the excellently preserved Round Tower which shares a lean with its more famous counterpart at Pisa.
br> Beside it is the Cathedral, of which the west gable, with its blocked-up flat-headed doorway (11th - 12th century), is the earliest part. The rest of the nave dates largely...