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Kilfenora Cathedral & Crosses, Co Clare

Kilfenora Cathedral (R183940) is on the site of a monastery founded by St Fachtna. Little is known of its history but it was burned in 1055 by Murtough O Brien. The first bishop dates to 1189 and parts of the church were built at that time. The west end of the church is still in use.

One Of The Effigy Slabs

There is a fine mask outside the south door. The east end of the church is ruinous but there is a good east window of three round-headed lights. The tops of two of the columns of the window are decorated; one has foliage and the other has faces. Flanking the window are two effigy slabs. One has a cleric with mitre, crozier and raised hand; the other figure holds a book. Along the north wall is a triple sedilia with a fine hood and a good mitred head above it. Close to this is the figure of another cleric incised on a slab. In the south wall is a good double piscina.

Interior Of The Cathedral

There is a small north transept with a double piscina in the east wall and a fine round-headed east window. The Doorty Cross, just to the west of the church, shows a bishop with crozier on the east face. It is flanked by two winged creatures. Beneath it are two other figures also possibly bishops with croziers and below them possibly a double headed bird. On the west face is a Crucifixion surrounded by birds and below it possibly the Entry into Jerusalem. However the cross is covered with lichen and this makes viewing and photographing of the images almost impossible.

The Doorty Cross

A short distance northwest is another cross with interlacing. About 100m to the west of the church is a tall slender cross with a Crucifixion on the east face and a variety of geometrical and interlaced ornament elsewhere.