Temple Cronan
West Ireland | County Clare
Temple Cronan is a small church, sited inside a small walled enclosure located 1.5km north-east from village of Carran, in east part of Burren, County Clare. It was built in the 12th century and in those days, it was monastic settlement containing the church, two shrines, termon (peace of land around a church giving right of sanctuary), at least one termon cross, a holy well and few domestic buildings and it was an important place of pilgrimage. The tradition tells that the first monastery on this site was founded in the 7th century by St Cronan (possibly the same saint who foundfed monastery in Roscrea). The church itself is a small oratory made of massive stone blocks with lintelled doorway in the west wall. Current entrance to church, a Gothic doorway with a pointed arch was inserted into the north wall in the 15th century. The carved human and animalistic heads (six or seven in total) dotted around the the church walls are also later additions. On the east side of the church there is stone tomb-shrine, made of flat limestone slabs pitched tent-like against each other. It known as the Bed (or Grave) of St Cronan.
- OPENING HOURS AND TICKETS :
- Freely accessible
- CAR PARK :
- Roadside
Photos from Temple Cronan
