Kilbennen or Kilbannon is a medieval ecclesiastical site and

National Monument A national monument is a monument constructed in order to commemorate something of importance to national heritage, such as a country's founding, independence, war, or the life and death of a historical figure. The term may also refer to a sp ...

located in

County Galway "Righteousness and Justice" , anthem = () , image_map = Island of Ireland location map Galway.svg , map_caption = Location in Ireland , area_footnotes = , area_total_km2 = ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

Location

Kilbennen is located northwest of

Tuam Tuam ( ; ga, Tuaim , meaning 'mound' or 'burial-place') is a town in Ireland and the second-largest settlement in County Galway. It is west of the midlands of Ireland, about north of Galway city. Humans have lived in the area since the Bronz ...

, on the far side of the

River Clare The River Clare ( ga, Abhainn an Chláir) is a river in counties Mayo and Galway in Ireland. The long river rises north of Ballyhaunis in Mayo and descends past Dunmore, where it flows west, then turns south past Milltown continuing do ...

History

The monastery here was founded by Benignus of Armagh (Benin, Benen, Bennan), a disciple of Saint Patrick, in the 5th century AD, although the Book of Armagh associates it with a different Benignus, of the Luighne Connacht.

Iarlaithe mac Loga Saint Jarlath, also known as Iarlaithe mac Loga (''fl.'' 6th century), was an Irish priest and scholar from Connacht, remembered as the founder of the monastic School of Tuam and of the Archdiocese of Tuam, of which he is the patron saint. ...

(Saint Jarlath) studied here in the 6th century. The

Annals of the Four Masters The ''Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland'' ( ga, Annála Ríoghachta Éireann) or the ''Annals of the Four Masters'' (''Annála na gCeithre Máistrí'') are chronicles of medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or mediev ...

record the burning of Kilbennen in 1114. In 1148 they record the death of Ceallach Ua Domhnagain, "noble head of Cill-Beneoin." The

Franciscans , image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg , image_size = 200px , caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans , abbreviation = OFM , predecessor = , ...

built a church c. 1428. Some conservation work was done in 1880–81.

Ruins and monuments

Kilbennan Church East Gable Interior 2010 09 16

The

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms wh ...

round tower A fortified tower (also defensive tower or castle tower or, in context, just tower) is one of the defensive structures used in fortifications, such as castles, along with curtain walls. Castle towers can have a variety of different shapes and ful ...

is badly damaged and stands tall at its highest point and in diameter. It has a

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates ...

doorway off the ground. Both gables are standing on the church. The east gable had a twin-light cusped

ogee An ogee ( ) is the name given to objects, elements, and curves—often seen in architecture and building trades—that have been variously described as serpentine-, extended S-, or sigmoid-shaped. Ogees consist of a "double curve", the combinati ...

-headed window. A

holy well A holy well or sacred spring is a well, spring or small pool of water revered either in a Christian or pagan context, sometimes both. The water of holy wells is often thought to have healing qualities, through the numinous presence of its gua ...

is located to the northwest, where Bennin is said to have healed nine

leper Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a long-term infection by the bacteria '' Mycobacterium leprae'' or '' Mycobacterium lepromatosis''. Infection can lead to damage of the nerves, respiratory tract, skin, and eyes. This nerve dama ...

References

External links

*{{Youtube, LW8qGMlBKbM, Kilbannon Round Tower Tuam Co Galway Religion in County Galway Archaeological sites in County Galway National Monuments in County Galway Round towers