In the 1950s the expected extensive reservoir to be created by Inniscarra Dam led to a series of archaeological excavations on key historic sites within the proposed area of flooding. Edward Fahy, who we have met already in the series, excavated the 'abbey' site. A low, wide and tree-lined bank with a stone retaining wall enclosed the overall site and burial ground. To the north, at the foot of a rock cliff, stood a well with a sandstone rubble and red brick canopy. It was traditionally associated with the abbey and therefore was regarded as a holy well. The site was excavated, except the burial ground area, to establish the nature of the structural remains, if any, within the enclosure, and to examine the holy well. The entire enclosure, measuring 64 feet by 47 feet (19.5 m by 14 m) except the burial area, was excavated and the remains of the foundations of a three-roomed building of unusual plan were exposed (see map of excavation).

The succession of events at Inishleena was clearly traceable at the site. The first activity that took place was the construction of a two-roomed building. An additional room was added to the building later. If the tradition regarding the house at Cronodymore is correct, then the building at Inishleena was in ruins by 1716. The next significant activity on the site was the conversion of the south-eastern corner into a burial ground some time around 1800.

There was no evidence uncovered to support the claim that Inishleena was an early Christian monastery. The three-roomed building did not appear to be earlier than the seventeenth century. From the little evidence available it was hard to guess the purpose of the three-roomed building. Edward Fahy was tempted to class it as a folly. There was no evidence to suggest that it was ever lived in. Among the finds was half a millstone, which might suggest it was a ruined mill. A dried-up water channel in an adjacent field passed so far from the building that it could not have been us¬ed to drive a millwheel. The holy well was a modern structure since it incorporated red brick in its walls. The only object recovered during the excavation was the bowl of a clay pipe of early-seventeenth-century origin. It was clear that the pipe was dropped during the building and was covered by mortar droppings, which fell at the time.

A bullán stone was recovered from the site by a group of interested locals. It was an irregular sandstone slab with a bowl-shaped hollow in the centre. Local knowledge in the 1950s referred to it as the 'christening stone'. The water contained in the bullán was said to be a cure for warts. Later the stone was in the custody of Dr. Daniel O'Sullivan, local G.P in Cloghroe. In later years, the O'Sullivan family gave it to Cloghroe National School where it can be seen adjacent the school yard.

To be continued…

Thanks to Mary McSwiney, Colm O'Sullivan and Paddy O'Connell, Cloghroe National School.

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