St. MacDara's Island

St. MacDara's Island is a medieval Christian monastery and National Monument located off the coast of County Galway, Ireland.[3][4]

St. MacDara's Island
Cruach na Cara[1]
Location within Ireland
Monastery information
Established6th century AD
Disestablishedbefore 1100
DioceseTuam
People
Founder(s)Macdara
Architecture
Statusruined
StyleCeltic
Site
LocationCarna, County Galway
Coordinates53.304424°N 9.917318°W / 53.304424; -9.917318
Public accessyes
National Monument of Ireland
Official nameSt. MacDara's Island Early Medieval Ecclesiastical Site[2]
Reference no.242

Location

St. MacDara's Island is located on a 60-acre (24.5 ha) granite mountain island off the coast of Connemara, 6 km (3.7 mi) west-southwest of Carna.[5][6]

History

Saint Sinach Macdara, patron saint of seafarers, is believed to have built a wooden church on the island in the sixth century.[7]

It was replaced by the present stone building in the 10th century.[8] The roof stones were cut to mimic wood shingles.[9]

Local fishermen traditionally dipped their sails three times while passing the island.[10]

A wooden statue of the saint was paid special reverence by locals; in an act of iconoclasm the Archbishop of Tuam ordered it buried.[11]

Every 16 July, local people make a pilgrimage to the island for a mass and blessing of boats (including the famous Galway hookers).[12] Devotions were also formerly held on 28 September.[13]

Description

A stone church or oratory, probably a shrine for Macdara's remains. There are several cross slabs and an enclosure.[14]

References
  1. "Bunachar Logainmneacha na hÉireann". Logainm.ie.
  2. "National Monuments in State Care: Ownership & Guardianship" (PDF). archaeology.ie. 4 March 2009. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  3. Walsh, David (29 March 2018). "Oileain: A Guide to the Irish Islands". Pesda Press – via Google Books.
  4. Robinson, Tim (19 June 2007). "Connemara: Listening to the Wind". Penguin UK – via Google Books.
  5. Tibus, Website design and development by. "Oops the page no longer exists - Discover Ireland" (PDF). www.discoverireland.ie.
  6. "Explanation to Accompany Sheets 1-". H.M. Stationery Office. 29 March 1871 – via Google Books.
  7. "Saint Mac Dara's Island R.A.S. Macalister". www.aislingmagazine.com.
  8. "St macdara's island, County Galway". www.earlychristianireland.net.
  9. Moody, Theodore William; Martin, Francis X.; Byrne, Francis John; Cosgrove, Art (29 March 1976). "A New History of Ireland: Prehistoric and early Ireland". Oxford University Press – via Google Books.
  10. Day, Catharina (29 March 2018). "Ireland". New Holland Publishers – via Google Books.
  11. Kingshill, Sophia; Westwood, The Estate of Jennifer (28 June 2012). "The Fabled Coast: Legends & traditions from around the shores of Britain & Ireland". Random House – via Google Books.
  12. Kilcoyne, Clodagh. "Seafarers' pilgrimage to MacDara's Island". The Wider Image.
  13. Harbison, Peter (1 April 1995). "Pilgrimage in Ireland: The Monuments and the People". Syracuse University Press – via Google Books.
  14. "Pilgrimage to the Connemara coast - Independent.ie".
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