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St Caritan, Kilcredaun, Clare

Location
(52°34′55″N, 9°42′32″W)
Kilcredaun
Q 842 492
pre-1974 traditional (Republic of Ireland) Clare
now Clare
medieval Killaloe
now Killaloe

medieval St Caritan
  • Tessa Garton
21 April 1995

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Feature Sets
Description

A small oratory, 23'7" x 15'7" (7.18 m x 4.75 m) (Westropp); ruined and ivy-covered, but with walls and gables standing to full height. The W doorway is damaged but enough of the bases and inside L jamb survive to indicate an arched opening. There are no carved or moulded stones on the jambs or arch apart from some ashlar springers on the interior R. Of rubble masonry apart from the ashlar E window.

History

Founded by Caritan, a friend of St Senan, c.550, and called 'Kilcharitain' in the Life of St Senan (Westropp).

Features

Exterior Features

Windows

Comments/Opinions

No Romanesque sculpture was visible in 1995, but the exterior of the E window is illustrated in Westropp, showing it to have two roll mouldings in the arch and a label decorated with scroll work (Pl. XI 6).

Bibliography

T. J. Westropp, 'The Churches of County Clare, and the origin of the ecclesiastical divisions in that county', Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, 22 (1900), 167, no.168.