Rahan Churches

Rahan monastic site was first established by St. Camelacus in the 5^th century and re-established by St. Carthach in the 6^th century. The monastic site presently consists of two churches, a graveyard, a probable tower house, and an enclosure. The church in the graveyard is known as St Carthach’s church. The church dates to the 12^th century and shows constant phases of rebuilding. The nave was rebuilt in 1732, along with general repairs for use by the Church of Ireland community. In the interior fine examples of architectural details are on show. including a triple ordered chancel arch, an original Romanesque circular window in the east gable and decorated capitals.

To the east of St. Carthach’s church stands the remains of a rectangular roofless church, roughly 12m long and 7m wide. It has a fine Romanesque single ordered door, thought to be originally from St. Carthach’s church. The terminals feature heads of beasts. This 15^th/16^th century church has a rounded arched window in its south wall, rectangular slit window over the doorway, and a late medieval single light ogee windows in the south and east gables. The possible tower house shows traces of a barrel vault. Within the graveyard a grave slab was found to have a late medieval floriated decoration. The graveyard is used by both Protestants and Catholics with many burials unmarked, particularly around the south side of St Carthach’s.

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This national monument is protected in accordance with the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014