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 spec ...

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, 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 Saint Patrick ( la, Patricius; ga, Pádraig ; cy, Padrig) was a fifth-century Romano-British culture, Romano-British Christian missionary and Archbishop of Armagh, bishop in Gaelic Ireland, Ireland. Known as the "Apostle of Ireland", he is t ...

, 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) 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 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 is badly damaged and stands tall at its highest point and in diameter. It has a sandstone doorway off the ground. Both gables are standing on the church. The east gable had a twin-light cusped ogee-headed window. A holy well is located to the northwest, where Bennin is said to have healed nine lepers.

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