Aghowle Church

Aghowle Church is located 1.7 km (1.1 mi) southwest of Coolkenno, near some tributaries of the River Derreen.

It is claimed that a monastery was founded on the site by Finnian of Clonard in the 6th century. They lived in Clocháin (beehive huts) around a wooden church The placename derives from the Irish for "field of apple trees." The present church dates to c. 1100 and was in use by the Church of Ireland until 1716–17.[4][5][6] It is the principal ecclesiastical site of the northern Ui Felmeda. The large size of the structure indicates importance but the historical record is unclear why this parish was so important. [2]

Local legend tells of a "fugitive bell": apparently St Finnian erected a belfry at Aghowle, but later moved the bell to his other monastery at Clonard. One day it vanished and reappeared at Aghowle, and, despite several attempts at removing it, the bell kept on returning to Aghowle.

Window detail

The church is a long rectangular building with high gables of which the original north, east and west walls survive. The granite west doorway is lintelled on the outside and arched inside. It has Romanesque moulding on the outside and a draw-bar socket as well as pre Romanesque influences.[7][2] Two round-headed windows in the east wall have hood mouldings on the outside supported by pillars.[8][9]

St Finden's Cross

St Finden's Cross

To the northeast of the church is a 2.8 m (9 ft 2 in) high imperforate ringed granite high cross, possibly unfinished, standing on a pyramidal base known as St Finden's Cross. There are sunken panels in the shaft and underneath the arms. It dates to approximately the 10th century.