Temple na Skellig, Glendalough

Description

SMR No.: WI023-020----

Monument Type: Church

Situated on a shelf above the S shore of the Upper Lake, surrounded by steep cliffs and only approachable by boat. The most westerly of the churches at Glendalough it was partly reconstructed in the 12th century. A small single-celled rectangular structure with a twin-light window in the E gable (similar to St Saviour's) and a doorway with inclined granite jambs at the W which originally had a flat lintel. Two fragmentary Latin crosses and several plain graveslabs are located near the church. To the W is an associated platform where evidence of wattle huts connected by paved paths was found in an excavation conducted by Francoise Henri in 1956-8. The huts were apparently destroyed by an avalanche of slabs and a wooden house resting on a base of stones was subsequently built which had finds dating from the late 12th to the late 14th or 15th century. A charcoal layer was noted here and other charcoal-burning platforms have since been identified in this area.