Kilbennen

Kilbennen or Kilbannon is a medieval ecclesiastical site and National Monument located in County Galway, Ireland.^[1][2]

Kilbennen

Cill Bheanáin
Location within Ireland
Monastery information
Other names	Kilbannon; Kilbennan; Cell-beneoin; Dun Lughaid
Order	Franciscans (15th century)
Established	late 5th century AD
Disestablished	15th/16th century
Diocese	Tuam
People
Founder(s)	Benignus of Armagh
Architecture
Status	ruined
Style	Celtic
Site
Location	Pollacorragune, Tuam, County Galway
Coordinates	53.538801°N 8.892219°W / 53.538801; -8.892219
Visible remains	Church and round tower
Public access	yes
National monument of Ireland
Official name	Kilbennen
Reference no.	48

Location

Kilbennen is located 3.7 km (2.3 mi) northwest of Tuam, on the far side of the River Clare.^[3]

History

The monastery here was founded by Benignus of Armagh (Benin, Benen, Bennan), a disciple of Saint Patrick,^[4] in the 5th century AD, although the Book of Armagh associates it with a different Benignus, of the Luighne Connacht.^[5] Iarlaithe mac Loga (Saint Jarlath) studied here in the 6th century.^[6]

The Annals of the Four Masters record the burning of Kilbennen in 1114.^[7] In 1148 they record the death of Ceallach Ua Domhnagain, "noble head of Cill-Beneoin."^[8]

The Franciscans built a church c. 1428.^[9]

Some conservation work was done in 1880–81.^{[citation needed]}

The church is surrounded by a wall and a graveyard, where some ancient crosses and slabs can be seen.

Ruins and monuments

Round tower with doorway visible.

East gable window, now blocked up.

The limestone round tower is badly damaged and stands 16.5 m (54 ft) tall at its highest point and 4.8 m (16 ft) in diameter. It has a sandstone doorway 4.56 m (15.0 ft) off the ground.^[10]

Both gables are standing on the church. The east gable had a twin-light cusped ogee-headed window.^[11]

A holy well is located to the northwest, where Bennin is said to have healed nine lepers.^[12]