Illauntanning Monastic Site

Illauntanning is the largest of a number of small islands that make up the Magharee Islands, on the north side of the Magharee Peninsula, Co. Kerry. This is an Early Christian enclosure including two small oratories, three leachts, three beehive huts, a burial ground and a stone wall. Other items such as two balluan stones, stone cross, a hand-bell and cross-slabs have also been identified.

The three leachts are rectangular, stone faced mounds. They are 1m high with considerable amounts of quartz pebbles visible. To the west side of the middle leacht stands a stone cross. Its edges are bevelled and has four perforations at the crossing of the shaft, experts suggest a plaque was affixed here.

One of the tow bullaun stones, small with a steep-sided circular depression, was found at the foot of a stone cross. The second bullaun stone was found on the beach.

The three beehive huts, known as clochán, are of drystone corbelled construction and all are roofless. The graveyard has a number of low upright markers in regular rows.

One oratory is found within the thickness of the enclosures wall to the south east, it is of dry-stone corbelled construction with the east wall lost to coastal erosion. A large single slab remains.

The second oratory is larger than the first and is in the south-east of the settlement. It is boat-shaped and roofless, and is of dry-stone corbelled construction to a height of 2.6m. Entry is via a doorway in the west wall. A rectangular lintelled window in the east gable provides light. A dry-stone altar is beneath the window with experts noting tooling akin to Irish Romanesque style supporting the idea that this oratory was 12^th century in date.

A shell midden is found south within the enclosure and composed of shells, animal bones, split and burnt stones and charcoal.

The three cross slabs have been removed to the big oratory, their original position is unknown. One cross slab is a smooth rounded stone with one face bearing a Latin cross with expanded terminals within a circle. The arms are a continuous single groove with the head and base separated by low ridges. The second cross slab has a cross within a circle carved on both faces. The third cross slab is broken into three pieces leaving its inscription undecipherable.

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