Killeshin Church

National Monument No. 115. A monastery in the territory of Uí Bhairrche was reputedly founded here by St Comghán before 500 AD (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 39). Comghán abbot of Glenn Uisean [Killeshin] died in the second half of the sixth century (ibid. 39). He was the son of Diarmuid of the Dál gCais of Thomond (Ó Riain 2011, 220). The saint’s feastday falls on the 27th of February (Fitzgerald 1910, 187). The Martyrology of Donegal records his family pedigree as ‘Comdhan [Comghán], of Glenn Uissen, son of Diarmaid, son of Deghadh, of the race of Cormac Cas, son of Oilill Oluim; and Ethnee, daughter of Feidhlimidh, son of Tighernanch, was his mother’. The first reference to Killeshin in an the annals dates from 843 when the death is recorded of ‘Aedhan of Gleann-Uisean [Killeshin]’ (AFM, 465). In 874 the annals recorded the death of ‘Diarmaid, Abbot of Gleann-Uissean [Killeshin]’ (AFM, 521). In 1024 the annals recorded that a ‘slaughter was made of the men of Munster by Donnchadh, son of Aedh, in Gleann-Uisean [Killeshin], through the miracles of God and Comhdan [Comghán]’. In 1041 the annals recorded that ‘Gleann-Uisean was plundered by the son of Mael-na-mbo, and the oratory was demolished, and seven hundred persons were carried off [as prisoners] from thence, in revenge of the plundering of Fearna-mor, by the son of Brian, and Murchadh, son of Dunlaing, and in revenge of his brother, Domhnall Reamhar’ (AFM, 841).

The Ordnance Survey letters of 1838 recorded that ‘about 40 feet [12.2m] of the eastern part had been converted into a modern church 120 years before (c. 1718); that at this period the choir arch of the original church was pulled down and the greater part of the south wall removed’ (Crawford and Leask 1925, 86). Leask (1925, 86) stated ‘that many of the ornamented stones of the choir arch might be seen built into the modern wall, and that the south wall of the modern church contained two small rude windows, and a pointed one which might be as old as the fourteenth century. The last was evidently in the pre-existing portion of the chancel wall and probably matched the present east window; it is now destroyed. O’Donovan also mentioned that the south wall (of the ancient church), then nearly destroyed, had been standing within the memory of an old man, not many years dead, who said that it contained two windows with semicircular heads, narrow on the outside and broad inside; these were placed directly opposite to two other windows of the same style and form, then remaining in the north wall’.

The church was described in 1910 as following ‘The west gable end and a portion of the north wall are all that remain of the building of this period. Up in the west gable is a narrow, round-headed window of cut granite, surmounted by a triangular pediment; a similar window, somewhat larger, is in the north wall; both of them internally are round-arched, with a wide splay, The south wall is completely down; while the east end, with its ogee-headed window of two lights, belongs to a far later date, when a Protestant church stood on this portion of the old site. At the north corner of the west wall is a pilaster, or narrow buttress, which was always a feature in these early Irish churches. The western doorway is one of the best specimens in Ireland of the Hiberno-Romanesque art; it is of four orders, and elaborately carved with a great variety of patterns, the second arch being ornamented with representations of animals and birds; while the keystone of the outer arch consists of a human head in relief, its moustache and beard being arranged in peculiarly curled locks. Each of the eight pillars is topped by a human head, some clean-shave, others with twisted moustaches and curled beards and whiskers; the hair over the brow is in some cases waved, and in others fringed with curls. The features of the face are badly damaged; but judging by that on the keystone, above mentioned , the nose was more flat than prominent’ (Fitzgerald 1910, 194-7).

Present remains consist of the W end of nave (int. dims. 7.47m N-S; wall T 1m) and E end of chancel (int. dims. 6.04m N-S) survive of this twelfth-century church (overall int. L c. 27.07m) composed of sandstone with granite quoins. The W gable (ext. Wth 13m' wall T 1.11m) with antae at NW angle, contains an elaborately decorated Romanesque doorway which has four receding orders with capitals bearing human heads with intertwined hair. The arch surmounted by a hood, is decorated with animal and foliage motifs, and its keystone, carved in relief, also bears a human head. Two inscriptions are visible; one on N side reads 'a prayer for Diarmait, King of Leinster' (Harbison 1970, 140). A granite window, pointed externally and round-headed internally, lies above doorway; a similar but larger window is visible in the adjoining section of N wall (int. L 11.9m). The S end of the adjoining S wall (int. L 5.4m) has a later buttress.

The later chancel (ext. Wth 8.25m) has a slight base batter. The original E window has been replaced by a square two-light ogee-headed window, probably dating to the sixteenth century. An aumbry is visible in SE corner. Surviving sections of the adjoining N wall (int. L 5.2m) and S wall (int. L 1.4m) are featureless. Some cut and dressed stone lie in NE and SE angles. Modern burials have been placed within the church. A round tower (LA032-020003-) to NW of church was destroyed in 1703 (Fitzgerald 1910, 189, 198). To N of doorway lies a circular granite font (LA032-020005-). (Crawford and Leask 1925, 83-94; O'Hanlon and O'Leary 1907, vol. 1, 257-64)