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Inchagoill

Location
(53°29′2″N, 9°18′40″W)
Inchagoill
M 13 49
pre-1974 traditional (Republic of Ireland) Galway
now Galway
  • Tessa Garton

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Description

Romanesque nave and chancel church, restored in the 19thc. The chancel has a plain round-headed chancel arch with plain imposts and a small, plain round-headed E window, with interior splay. The nave has a plain, round-headed window with interior splay. There are projecting corbels with hollow chamfer at the NE corner of the chancel and nave. Two loose stones (one with Romanesque sculpture) have been set on a plain stone altar at the E end of the chancel. There is an early cross-slab in the SW corner of the nave. The church is roofless, but walls survive to a h. of c. 4 m. Romanesque sculpture is found on the elaborately carved W doorway.

History

Features

Exterior Features

Doorways

Loose Sculpture

Comments/Opinions

On the evidence of the deep pilasters, Leask suggests that the W doorway was once much deeper, forming a porch like that at Freshford or Donaghmore. The arches are incorrectly rebuilt; the voussoirs are narrower than the jambs in the second and third orders. However, the overall design may help in reconstructing the original arrangement of loose stones at Annaghdown.

The doorway combines features from Annaghdown and the Nun's Church, Clonmacnois. The head capitals have parallels at Annaghdown. the jamb mouldings are also similar to to those at Annaghdown. The monster head capital of the second order L jamb is very similar to a capital on the Nun's Church W doorway. The frontal chevron of the second order is also similar to the Nun's Church W doorway. The doorway combines naturalistic human heads on the arch with stylised human heads and interlaced hair on the capitals, as well as a monster head (and column swallower?) capital. Thus it suggests no differentiation between naturalistic and stylised schools or workshops.

The stone used in the doorway, possibly limestone, is weathered and has numerous holes.

Bibliography
Fahey, J., ‘The Shrines of Inchagoill, Lough Corrib’, JRSAI, 31, 1901, 236-46.
Leask, H.G., Irish Churches and Monastic Buildings Vol 1, Dundalk, 1955, 110-1.