Chapter 4: Eanach Dúin (Annaghdown) to Coill Beag
- Parish of Annaghdown
- Disaster of Annaghdown
- Monastery and Abbey
- Nunnery
- Bellhouse
- Annaghdown Castle
- Craobh Castle
- Kilcoona Round Tower
- St. Cuana
- Cloch-an-Uabhair Castle
- Lee's Island
- Cnoc Ferry and Coill Beag
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Refer to Map
Passing up the road to the east, we reach the crumbling walls, constructed chiefly of round, undressed stones, of an extensive monastic building, of which the preceding illustration is a faithful representation.
Attached to the north side of the monastery is the Abbey Church, the west
gable and the north walls of which are still standing, as also a portion of
the south walls at the west, where it is supported by a remarkably
well-built buttress of dressed stone, evidently of much later date. The
entire length of this Domhnach Mór, or large cathedral
church, is
The northern entrance, near the western end, which is still intact, has a deeply-moulded pointed arch; but that on the south, which was probably nearer the east, for the accommodation of the clerics, is undistinguishable. The choir arch has also been completely destroyed; but several of the stones of the clustered pillars that supported it can be seen strewn around, or forming headstones to modern graves.
Clearing away some of the rubbish that had accumulated under the site of the chancel arch, were discovered two remarkable tomb stones, both unhappily broken, and without inscriptions. They were both, probably, those of ecclesiastics, many notabilities of which class, especially of the Ó Máille and Mac Floinn families were buried here. There is one small trefoil-headed window in the north wall of the long nave, and another narrow light in the chancel of this church; but the south light in the latter part is still in partial preservation, and its lion's headed impost on the east side is uninjured. A large chasm in the wall marks the site of the east window.
[TEXT MISSING FROM LAST PARA, ILLUSTRATION TO BE SCANNED]