Oughtmama Three Churches

At the SE end of a large fertile valley at the N foot of Turlough Hill within an enclosure (CL003-032001-) and a larger outer enclosure (CL003-032007-) and named ‘Oughtmama church (in ruins)’ on the 1840 and 1915 OS 6-inch maps. This is the largest and most westerly of three churches at Oughtmama (see CL003-032003- and CL003-032004-) forming part of an early monastic settlement. Three saints Colman are noted as being associated (Hogan 1910, 660). The church comprises a nave (int. dims. 14.25m E-W; 6.6m N-S) and chancel (int. dims. 6.3m E-W; 5.3m N-S) built of large rectangular blocks laid in gently undulating courses. The church is entered through a trabeate doorway (Wth at base 1m; Wth at top 0.8m; H 1.93m) in the W wall. This wall also has undecorated projecting antae. The N wall is featureless while the S wall is lit by two narrow round-headed windows with splayed ingoings, one at either end. A Romanesque chancel arch (H c. 4m; Wth 3.1m) separates the nave from the chancel. According to O’Keeffe (2003, 51-2) the arch is ‘not easily dated since its ‘simplicity’ could be taken to indicate an early or a late date and that problem is not helped by the fact that the wall in which it originally belonged was substantially rebuilt.’ He recommends a later 12th-century date. The E wall of the chancel (surviving H 2m) had a narrow rectangular window, the top of which lies nearby. The S wall survives to a similar height and has the base of a rectangular window at its E end. A stoup, portraying two animals with intertwined necks is set into the wall in the internal corner where the S wall meets the W gable. Beneath it is a rectangular stone font (CL003-032014-). A second church (CL003-032001-) lies 9.5m to the E. All of the churches at Oughtmama are national monuments in State Care, no. 12. (Swan 1991, 106-8; Swinfen 1992, 102-5)