Part of a monastic site founded by the island's patron saint
Unguided sitesPart of a monastic site founded by the island's patron saint
Unguided sitesTeaghlach Éinne is a state-owned National Monument in the care of the Office of Public Works
*Safety Information: The ground in Cill Éinne Graveyard is very uneven and the church is surrounded by sand dunes. Care is needed.*
WARNING: It should be noted that these sites are unguided and a level of care and caution should be maintained during all stages of your visit. The Office Of Public Works (OPW) will not be held responsible for any damages, injuries, or losses that occur
Teaghlach Éinne (‘Éanna’s household’) is a small medieval church, half buried in sand dunes, set in Cill Éinne Graveyard. This church was part of an important early medieval monastery, Cill Éinne (‘the church of Éanna’), which gives this area of the island its name. It is said to have been founded by St. Éanna, the island’s patron saint, in the 6th century. Éanna’s disciples went on to found other important churches such as Clonmacnoise and Clonard.
In 1684, the Gaelic scholar Roderic O’Flaherty wrote that the graveyard holds the remains of at least 120 saints, Éanna himself among them. The walls of the church appear to be constructed of massive blocks of stone; however, they actually consist of thin slabs of stone filled with rubble. The east gable wall displays the distinctive ‘projecting antae’ which tells us this is probably the oldest surviving section of the building, perhaps 9th century. The antae would have supported a wooden roof, and may imitate the corner posts of an earlier wooden church. On the outer face of the North Wall, directly below the window is a sideways inscription which reads ORAIT AR SCANDLAN: ‘pray for Scandlan’. Perhaps Scandlan was one of Éanna’s successors as abbot of the monastery.
Inside the church, three fragments of an 11th century high cross, which originally stood close to the base of the round tower, have been cemented together. One features a hooded rider, perhaps representing Jesus entering Jerusalem. Cross-inscribed stones and pieces of masonry of various dates have been cemented together to form a small altar.
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This national monument is protected in accordance with the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014
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