The
Cashel, dating from about 600 or 700 AD, on Inishmurray Island in County Sligo. The buildings inside are the remains of one of the best
preserved early Christian monasteries in Ireland. |
The oak statue of St Molaise, which was displayed in Molaise's church on Inishmurray, is probably the oldest wooden statue in Ireland. Molaise may have held a bell and croser in his missing hands. |
Inishmurray Island lies some eight miles southwest of Mullaghmore and four and a half miles from the nearest point on the mainland at Streedagh, in north Co Sligo. This small and beautiful island, the top of a submerged sandstone hill, is Sligo's largest island, being about a mile long and half a mile wide. Inishmurray is home to some of the best preserved early Christian relics from medieval Ireland, having one of the largest collections of engraved cross-slabs, pillar stones and altars or 'leachta', and the famous 'Cloch Breac' or Cursing Stones. In addition the island is a wild life sanctuary and is an important breeding ground for a huge number of seabirds.
A map of Inishmurray Island. The monastic settlement is within the Cashel on the south side of the island. The monastery on Inishmurray is said to have been founded around 520 AD by Saint Molaise, a mysterious figure also associated with Rossinver and Devenish Island in Lough Erne. The Annals tell us that the monks inhabited the island from the sixth to the twelth century, when they moved to the mainland at Screen in west Sligo. Little is known of the Inishmurray monastery and there are a scant few mentions in the Annals of the Four Masters. Viking raids are mentioned, probably the main reason for the monks leaving the island. What remains are the buildings, altars and the magnificant art, the finest collection of Early Irish Christian engraved slabs outside Clonmacnoise.
The Clocha Breaca, the Speckled or Cursing Stones, a collection of round sea stones, a number of which are engraved with circles and crosses. They have currently been removed by the OPW while replicas are made. The earliest visitors to the island were during the bronze age, and there are the possible remains of a burial structure near the natural harbour at Clashymore. The main ancient feature on Inishmurray today is the Cashel, a large dry-stone fort with walls that are still 5 meters high in places and are 3 to 4 meters thick; it was largly rebuilt by the board of works in the 1890's, who added a new entrance. The Cashel may date from the foundation of the monastery in the sixth century, or have been built for extra protection a few hundred years later when the Vikings began to visit these shores. The monastery was raided by the Norsemen in 812. During the early Christian period, an enormous amount of stone carving took place on the island. There are almost 100 carved stones and slabs in the collection, many with interesting and unusual crosses. The art of Inishmurray may prove to have links with the Holy Land, as several of the cross styles were used by crusading knights. A number were carved for grave slabs, while another gouup were set up on the leachta or altars scattered around the island. Within the Cashel are the famous Inishmurray Cursing Stones, na Cloch Breac, or Speckled Stones. These unusual objects are collected on the largest of the three altars within the enclosure. They are egg-shaped sea-rolled stones, several with designs engraved upon them, mainly crosses. Local lore says they were used either to bless (by spinning clockwise) or curse (spin anti-clockwise). Reportedly, they were last used by locals during WW II to curse Hitler - the war was affecting the island's sugar supply - the most important ingriedient in the local industry, poteen brewing. |
This large cross slab stands outside the Men's church within the Cashel enclosure. On the ground is a broken basin which also has a cross carving. It is thought that this basin may have been used by pilgrims to wash their feet before entering the church. |
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There are a sixteen stone altars, or leachta, arranged in a clockwise route around the island, and each 'station' was once marked by an engraved cross slab. A number of the slabs still remain in position, though several have been moved by the OPW in recent years as, like the slabs within the Cashel, they are in danger of being stolen. In 1998 and 1999 several of the leachta were excavated and rebuilt 10 - 15 meters inland as they were in danger of falling into the sea.
Treenode More: a fine cross slab on a stone altar or leachta, surrounded by a low encircling wall. These altars are found around the circumference of the island. The majority of the cross slabs are locked away in the old island schoolhouse, now a depot for the OPW, and permission, which is very difficuly to obtain, is needed to view them. |
The
stone sweathouse known as the Schoolhouse, Clocha Breac, the altar with the cursing stones, and the church, Teampeall na Tine, within the monastic enclosure on Inishmurray during Bluebell season. |
