Menu

Mayo - 16
Caher Island

Site/Artefact Caher Island Type Monastic Site Site Number SMR Mayo 94 006 National Grid Reference 066270 East 275630 North Map ( 1:50000) Ordnance Survey Ireland, Discovery Series 37 List of Sites and Artefacts Click Here Interactive Map Click Here

Church on Caher Island (Photo: Christiaan Corlett) Cursing Stone on Caher Island (Photo: Christiaan Corlett)

Description
Caher Island has an Early Christian monastery with the remains of a chapel in an enclosure and a number of carved slabs. The Island seems to have contained the hermitage sites of seventh century monks, perhaps followers of St Colmán whose presence is remembered on the neighbouring island of Inishbofin (Corlett, 2001). One of the slabs is a thick rectangular block of sandstone only 17 inches (42.5cm) high. It is decorated with a very plain Latin cross in a frame and recalls the small cross-inscribed stones which stood at the heads of graves of Lindisfarne and Hartlepool (Henry, 1947)

Excavation Details
Not Available

Access/Ownership
The island is accessed via boat from Inishturk.

Carved Cross on Caher Island (Photo: Christiaan Corlett)

References

• Corlett, C. 2001 Antiquities of West Mayo, Wordwell, Wicklow, p.41
• Henry, F. 1947 The Antiquities of Caher Island, Journal of the Royal Irish Academy, Dublin, pp 37-38

Check out the following sections of the website for related information:

• Iona

Mayo Sites and Artefacts

1. Mayo Abbey 2. Balla 3. Ballintubber Abbey 4. Tóchar Phadraig 5. Aghagower 6. Lankhill 7. Boheh 8. Croagh Patrick Summit 9. Carrownalurgan 10. Ardoley 11. Kiladangan 12. Glaspatrick 13. Shrawee 14. Clare Island - Strake 15. Clare Island - Lecarrow 16. Caher Island 17. Durless

18. Carrowmore 19. Knappaghmanagh 20. Cushalogurt 21. Carrowkeel Ecclesiastical Remains 22. Thornhill 23. Carrowkeel Murrisk 24. Carrowkeel Cahernaran 25. Carrowmacloughlin Cairn-1 26. Carrowmacloughlin Cairn-2 27. Carrowmacloughlin Cairn-3 28. Carrowmacloughlin/ Glencally/ Teevenacroaghy 29. Carrowmacloughlin Sweathouses 30. Glaspatrick Holy Well

31. Glaspatrick Rath-1 32. Glaspatrick Early Ecclesiastical Remains 33. Glaspatrick Ringfort 34. Glaspatrick Rath-2 35. Glaspatrick Ecclesiatical Remains 36. Glaspatrick Altar 38. Glaspatrick Graveyard 39. Murrisk Demesne Standing Stone-1 40. Murrisk Demesne Standing Stone-2 41. Murrisk Demesne Standing Stone-3 42. Teevenacroaghy

Mayo - Vestvågøy - Mid-Argyll

Travels in Time | Overview | Themes |

Timelines | 700BC to 0 | 0 to 800AD | 800AD to 1100AD |

Landscape | Mayo | Vestvågøy | Mid-Argyll | Archaeology |

Other Media | Education | Exhibition | Publication |

Information | Bibliography | Project | Links | Contact |

This project has been supported by the EU as part of the Culture 2000 programme.