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Saint Macdara's Island

Coordinates: 53°18′16″N 9°55′02″W / 53.304424°N 9.917318°W / 53.304424; -9.917318
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St. MacDara's Island
Cruach na Cara[1]
Saint Macdara's Island is located in Ireland
Saint Macdara's Island
Location within Ireland
Monastery information
Established6th century AD
Disestablishedbefore 1100
DioceseTuam
People
Founder(s)Macdara
Architecture
Statusruined
StyleCeltic
Site
LocationCarna, County Galway
Coordinates53°18′16″N 9°55′02″W / 53.304424°N 9.917318°W / 53.304424; -9.917318
Public accessyes
Official nameSt. MacDara's Island Early Medieval Ecclesiastical Site[2]
Reference no.242

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

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. ISBN 9780953195695 – via Google Books.
  4. ^ Robinson, Tim (19 June 2007). Connemara: Listening to the Wind. Penguin UK. ISBN 9780141900711 – 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. ISBN 9780198217374 – via Google Books.
  10. ^ Day, Catharina (29 March 2018). Ireland. New Holland Publishers. ISBN 9781860113277 – 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. ISBN 9781409038450 – 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. ISBN 9780815603122 – via Google Books.
  14. ^ "Pilgrimage to the Connemara coast - Independent.ie".