| Clonamery Church | |
|---|---|
Cill Chluain Iomaire | |
| 52°28′01″N7°01′54″W / 52.466944°N 7.031667°W | |
| Location | Clonamery, Inistioge, County Kilkenny |
| Country | Ireland |
| Denomination | Church of Ireland |
| Previous denomination | Pre-Reformation Catholic |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | inactive |
| Style | Celtic Christianity |
| Years built | 9th or 10th century |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 23 m (75 ft) |
| Width | 10 m (33 ft) |
| Number of floors | 1 |
| Materials | stone |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Ossory |
| Official name | Clonamery Church |
| Reference no. | 77 |
Clonamery Church is a medieval church and National Monument in County Kilkenny, Ireland. [1]
Clonamery Church is located 3 km (1.9 mi) southeast of Inistioge, on the north bank of the River Nore. [2]
St Broonahawn (pattern day 16 May) founded a monastery at Clonamery. The present church was built in the 9th or 10th century. [3]
The Romanesque chancel was added in the 12th century, while the out-building (sacristy) be 15th/16th century, and a bell-cote was added at the same time. [4]
Tradition states that the church continued in use until 1691, when Edward Fitzgerald of Cloone Castle died at the Battle of Aughrim.[ citation needed ]
Clonamery is a nave-and-chancel church with a sacristy built of roughly dressed stones not laid in regular courses with a slight batter. There is a flat-headed west doorway with a cross pattée above the lintel and antae in the west gable. [5] The bell-cote had room for two bells: a sanctus bell and a bell for calling the people to prayer. [6] At the doorway a Maltese cross with lines in relief extends down both sides of the doorway. [7]
A pillar-stone of early date was found at Clonamery. It is made of greenish slate and bears three crosses and two cup marks. There are some cross slabs and a grave slab also. [8]