George Petrie had been to Clonmacnoise as early as 1820 and some account of his work there will be found in the Memoir of Petrie published after his death and also and more importantly, the Christian Inscriptions. O'Donovan here bows to Petries expertise on Clonmacnoise. Much has, of course, been written since .It is interesting to see how much O'Donovan consulted Patrick Molloy. This family were the hereditary historians of the holy place until at least the 1950's.

ORDNANCE SURVEY LETTERS KING'S COUNTY

[ Letter no. 21 from John O'Donovan ]

Banagher,
January 15th 1838.

Dear Sir,

I visited Clonmacnoise and examined its localities. I do not believe that there is any Church or tower there so old as the time of St. Kieran, the Patron, nor older than the tenth century, but Mr. Petrie (9 Sept.) is the true judge of their age; I would venture to assert that there is no Church at Clonmacnoise so old as St. Fechin's Church at Fore or Bishop Mel's Church at Ardagh, or any of the seven Churches on Inis Clothrann in Lough Ree, nor as old as the Church of Banagher in the County of Derry.

The following are the names of the Churches and towers of Clonmacnoise as told me by Patrick Molloy, a native of the place, on whose authority I can scarcely rely though he is very positive in his assertions. (Ware's Map of the cemetery of Clonmacnoise must be carefully compared with this). [c. 1620's, see Manning in Archaeology Ireland ]

(1).The Cathedral. This is now popularly called Coghlan's Church because it was repaired by Charles Coghlan, the Vicar, at his own expense in 1647. Molloy says it is the Church anciently called Temple Mac Dermot, but why, he does not know. It would appear, however, from a passage in Mageoghegan's translation of the Annals of Clonmacnoise that "the great Church of Clonmacnoise" (the Cathedral, of course) " was called by some Mc Dermot's Church":-

"A.D. 1100. The shingles and the lower end of the wall of 'Great Church' called by some Mac Dermot's Church, which had been begun by Cormac Mac Connamboght, were this year repaired and completed by Flathvertagh O'Loyngsy."

Molloy says that this Church was probably called Mac Dermot's Church because a family of that name had purchased a burial place within it. He says that Mr. Petrie has ascertained this to be a fact, but it sounds odd to me that the Cathedral Church of Clonmacnoise should be called after the Mac Dermots of Moylurg. ...

Molloy looks upon this as the oldest Church at Clonmacnoise, but I think every part of it is modern with the exception of one narrow roundheaded window and a stone roofed chamber which it lights. Was this a Dear-theach (Penitentiary)?

(2).Temple Ri or O'Mealaghlin's Church. I do not understand how this is described in the Field Name Book.

"Temple Ri. It is the most northerly of the group of ruins commonly called the Seven Churches and has the round tower called Mac Carthy's Tower, lying on its south side." - II, p. 45.

This description was not obtained on the spot and Molloy says it is decidedly wrong. Temple Ree, according to him, lies immediately to the southeast of the Cathedral and has the round tower called Mac Carthy's Tower lying on its north side i.e., lying between it and Athlone.

This is decidedly the oldest Church of the group, it having been erected before the introduction of the pointed or Gothic style. Archdall takes it to be the Church erected in 904 by Flann Sionna, King of Meath, whence he thinks it was called Temple Ree. He speaks of it thus:-

"904 . This year Flann Sionna, King of Meath, and the Abbot Colman Mac Aillealla, founded a Church of stone (Daimhliag) here, which was called the Church of the Kings."

"924. On the 7th of February, the sage Doctor and Abbot Colman Mac Aillealla, died full of years and honor; he erected the Great Church, where the Patron Saint lies interred. - Mageogh., Citante Archdallo.

But I do not find any authority for calling the Church Temple Ree but Archdall himself, who probably inferred it from the circumstance of the Church having been erected by the King Flannsionna. ...

The Four Masters do not say that this Daimhliag was called Temple Ree and I fear that that name is Archdall's own invention. Does Connell Mageoghegan say that the church erected by Colman and Flann Sionna in 904 was called Temple Ree? I fear that the Daimhliage is still the Cathedral (No. 1).

If Mr. Petrie has no objection I would call this Templree or O'Melaghlin's Church.

(3).Templekelly lies east and by south of the Cathedral and is now level with the ground. This was the Mausoleum of the O'Kellys of Hy-Many.

Archdall states, upon what authority I know not, that Connor O'Kelly and the Sept. of Hy Many erected a church here in the stead of the Hospital (Teach Naoidhedh) in the year 1167. Does he take this from Mageoghegan?

(4).Templekieran lies immediately to the east of the site of Templekelly. It is a remarkably small church. Molloy differs entirely from the Name Book as to the situation of this Church; it is described in the Name Book thus, II, p. 44.:-

"Templekieran. It forms one of the group of ruins commonly called the Seven Churches and lies north of, and attached to the Protestant Church of the Parish."

Who furnished this information? Molloy calls the ruin attached to the Protestant Church of the Parish, Temple O'Conor!