Killiney Church

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Killiney Church
Nuns' Abbey
Cill Iníon Léinín
Killiney church 0059.JPG
Dublin map.png
Red pog.svg
Killiney Church
53°15′17″N6°06′59″W / 53.25472°N 6.11631°W / 53.25472; -6.11631
LocationMarino Avenue West, Killiney, Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown
CountryIreland
Denomination Pre-Reformation Catholic
History
Founded11th century
Architecture
Style Norman
Years built11th century
Specifications
Length11.5 m (38 ft)
Width9 m (30 ft)
Administration
Diocese Dublin
Official nameKilliney
Reference no.35 [1]

Killiney Church is an ancient church in County Dublin, Ireland. [2] [3] It is of 6th or 7th century and is closely structured to the period of Christianity to Erin.

Contents

History

The Irish term Cill Iníon Léinín, meaning "Church of the Daughters of Léinín," is adapted into English as Killiney.   After becoming a Christian, Léinín, a local chieftain, established a monastery settlement on what is now Marino Avenue West with his daughters.  The number of daughters—five, six, or seven—varies according to the sources, although this variance exists for almost all other numbers and times prior to the Norman invasion of Ireland in 1169–1170.   In his 1845 book, The Ecclesiastical Architecture of Ireland anterior to the Anglo-Norman Invasion, George Petrie, the most renowned antiquarian of early Victorian Ireland, asserted that the original church was built at the same time as the first church at Glendalough, putting its date at the beginning of the sixth century. This would be in line with the fact that St. Colman, an early Irish poet who passed away in 604, was also descended from Léinín.  The Cloyne diocese, whose cathedral in Cobh is dedicated to St. Colman, sprang from a monastic colony he built in Cloyne, County Cork. [4]

With a sixteenth-century aisle on the northern side, the present, abandoned church was built in the eleventh century.  Historians have "confirmed to" state that the church was possessed by the Priory of the Holy Trinity, whose territory extended from Murphystown, at the base of Three Rock Mountain, to Killiney, at some point prior to the English conquest.  The Dean of Christchurch Cathedral became the church's steward upon the Priory's dissolution in 1539.  Although it is reported to have been in good condition in 1615, it had no roof by 1654.

It is said that Petrie wished to be buried there and referred to it as a "ruin in perfection."  This was quite a compliment, since he probably knew more about Irish ruins than any man of his time.  Known as the "father of Irish archaeology," Petrie oversaw the Irish Ordnance Survey's Topographical Department for over ten years and was a renowned watercolourist and collector of traditional music.  What more could one ask of a burial place? The church stood alone at the top of a grassy slope running down to the Bay, lighted by the first rays of the morning sun. The most of his writing was done before the railway and its accompanying wave of housebuilding came in Killiney.  In any case, Petrie was interred in Mount Jerome Cemetery in 1866, though there were sporadic further interments until 1951.

Origins

Pope Alexander recognized the Church as Cellingenalenin in 1179, along with other Secular Possessions, and confirmed it to St. Lorcan Ua Tuathail. St. Lorcan verified Cellingin Lenin's identity to the Cathedral of Christ Church (along with the town) very instantly. Donough, the Irish chieftain of the district and a member of the ui Dhonnchadha family, had given the Church in 1038 along with Clonkeen for the support of the fledgling Priory of Holy Trinity.

Thus, it can be assumed that Killiney had vanished before 1038, that is, during the Norse attacks. [5]

Location

Killiney Church lies 240 m (790 ft) west of the coast, and 1.6 km (0.99 mi) south of Killiney Hill. In the modern day, this site is in the middle of housing developments, near Marino Avenue West. The churchyard is currently in outstanding shape thanks to the efforts of a small committee overseeing it and a small subsidy from the Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Council.   It is definitely worth a visit, even if it is currently encircled by homes.  Sadly, a boundary wall collapse has forced the site to close to visitors for the time being. Hopefully, this will be fixed soon. When the job is finished, we'll update this page with the new information.

Roman Cross

Notably, the Roman cross beneath the West Door's lintel indicates that the church was dedicated or declared "Blessed" by a prominent church figure. (St. Patrick, for instance, marked multiple churches with a cross.) After erecting their church, the Lenin daughters reportedly persuaded a member of the Tully community to dedicate it and affix a cross. The fact that the church was intended for a community of nuns is evident from its mention in the sixth arch of the Martyrology of Donegal. It is logical to assume that the daughters, or at least some of them, had their religious education at Kildare. Around 600, St. Colman of Cloyne, their brother, passed away. Martyrologies (Gorman, Donegal) at 8 March, mentions Cill-Inghin-Lenin in the territory of the Uí Briuin Cualann, which is associated with Killiney, Co. Dublin. An incorrect interpretation of "filiae Lenini in Tamlacht," or Killininny near Tallaght, is given by a late comment in Gorman. Killinny, also known as Cill-inghan-nAilello, was in Ui Cellaigh Cualann rather than Ui Briuin. [6]

The building

View of the entrance Killiney Church 3.JPG
View of the entrance

A monastery stood on the site from the 6th–7th century. The name of the 6th century site was Cill Ingean Léinín ("Church of the Daughters of Léinín"). These were seven virgin sisters, Aiglenn, Macha, Luiden, Druiden, Luicill, Bimtach, and Briga; the last is also patron of Tully Church. Their brother was Colmán of Cloyne (Colmán mac Léníne; 530–606). Their festival was celebrated on 6 March. [7] The church was built near an earth fort.

Regarding entry to the church, there is no reason for concern. For those of us who grew up in rural areas, Sundays meant witnessing people entering over fields and over fences from all directions. There must be "Mass Paths" that pass through demesnes and in front of grand houses for special occasions, just as there were fifty years ago. The greater the freedom of passage, the sooner the date. In the instance of Killiney, assuming that the current parish—which is only roughly two square miles in size—retains virtually the historic district that the church serves, the historic location was exceptionally central and could be reached by foot in twenty minutes by even the most remote parishioners. The ancient, weathered teampull or cill was once accessed from the main road by a rough borea. To the left of it stood a very old, probably several hundred years old thorn tree. Next to it was a carn, station, or alter. Sadly, both of these have completely vanished before the improvements began, as has the original "mur," or clearly identifiable earthen rath, that surrounded the venerable cemetery. [8] [9]

Undoubtedly, it was the Killiney church (of Killiney, Co. Kerry, we need not inquire) that was connected to Lenin's family. The following paragraph appears in the Annals of the Four Masters: 738 A.D. Dubhdothra, Lord of the Ui-Briuin-Cualain (also known as The Black Man of the Dothair, now River Dodder), suffered a fatal wound. "A sept giving name to a territory comprising the greater part of the barony of Rathdown in the present Co. Dublin, and some of the north of Wicklow," writes O'Donovan in his annotation on this passage. According to O'Clery's Irish Calendar, the Church of Cill-Inghine-Lenin, or Killiney, is located in this region.

Construction

This church's ruins are fairly well preserved. The chancel and west door are excellent examples of traditional Irish architecture and are thought to date back to the seventh century. The church's interior measures thirty-five feet. The nave's dimensions are 9'6" wide and 12'8" to the chancel. In the thirteenth century, an expansion was added to the north side of the chancel. The west door is 6'1′′ in height, with 2′ at the top and 2′ at the sill. The stonework is quite old. The west door's architecture is reflected in the chancel arch. It measures 6'6" in height, 4'10½ in width at the sill, and 4'7" in width at the arch spring. Like all the other windows in the cathedral, the eastern window has a square head and a very broad splay, which is a symbol of considerable antiquity in Irish ecclesiology. The church had a roof in 1654, although it was in fair repair in 1615. [10]

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References

  1. "National Monuments of County Dublin in State Care" (PDF). heritageireland.ie. National Monument Service. p. 2. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  2. "megalithomania: Killiney Church (Dublin) :: Church :: Visit notes".
  3. "VIDEO: Killiney's heavenly lodge at Nuns' Abbey site - Independent.ie".
  4. "Killiney Ancient Church – Cill Iníon Léinín | Killiney History" . Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  5. Oram, Hugh (3 February 2020). The Little Book of Dalkey and Killiney. The History Press. ISBN   978-0-7509-9452-1.
  6. Black (Firm), Adam and Charles (1888). Black's Tourist's Guide to Ireland. Adam and Charles Black.
  7. "Full text of "The journal of the Royal Historical and Archaeological Association of Ireland"". 1874.
  8. The tourist's illustrated hand-book for Ireland. 7th year's ed. W. Smith and Sons. 1859.
  9. Wakeman, William Frederick (1891). Archæologia Hibernica: A Hand-book of Irish Antiquities, Pagan and Christian : Especially of Such as are of Easy Access from the Irish Metropolis. Hodges, Figgis.
  10. The Irish Ecclesiastical Journal. Grant and Bolton. 1849.