Árd na hAingeal Church

Church of Ard na nAingeal

Church of Ard na nAingeal

Church of Ard na nAingeal

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Ard na nAingeal

River pilots lit fires on this high ground to help ships navigate

Ard na nAingeal

Ard na nAingeal

River pilots lit fires on this high ground to help ships navigate

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On the brow of the hill west of Teampall Senain lies Ard na nAingeal Church. Tradition says that the Archangel Michael placed Senan on a flagstone here, before he was transported to fight the Cathach, or sea-monster.

'About forty perches to the south west of the Round Tower, on the hill called in the Life of St. Senan, Ard na n-Aingeal, i.e., Hill of the Angels, there is another Church in ruins called after the hill, Teampull Cnuic na n-Aingeal. It measures forty feet six in length and sixteen feet eight inches in breadth. All its features are destroyed and the greater part of the fragments of the wall remaining are modern. The south wall is ten feet in height and about two feet seven inches in thickness. The north wall is nearly all destroyed, as are also the two gables except a small part of the west gable, which looks very ancient.
The south wall contained a pointed doorway constructed of small rude stones and evidently modern. The south wall contained two windows which are now mere breaches.

There is another building joined to the south east side of this Church measuring thirty five feet ten inches from north to south and fifteen feet from west to east. A part of the west wall, fourteen feet long and five feet high joined to the Church remains, and a small part of the middle of the east wall, two feet nine inches in thickness.'

In the days before the Lighthouse was built on the island the river pilots would light fires on this high ground to help ships navigate.

John O'Donovan 1839.