Mayo -
6
Lankhill
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Site/Artefact
Lankhill
Type
Archaeological Complex
Site
Number
SMR Mayo 98 003
National Grid
Reference
100950 East
279170 North
Map (
1:50000)
Ordnance Survey Ireland,
Discovery Series, 38
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Detail from Lankhill
Pillar (Photo: Christiaan
Corlett)
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Description
Lankhill, an early Christian church site
on the pilgrim route Tóchar
Phádraig, which extends from
Ballintubber to Croagh Patrick, had possibly a
timber oratory which has long disappeared. The
foundations of a later small stone building,
possibly the church, are extant (Corlett, 2000).
The field in which the church is located is known
as Gort na Mannach, the field of the monks.
But perhaps the name belies the ancient memory of
place. The monks who settled here would have
perhaps readapted the landscape to suit their
needs.
The new settlers at Lankhill are thought to have
taken a kerbstone from a megalithic tomb and
erected it within the sacred enclosure. They then
attempted to carve a cross on it thus redeploying
the stone as a Christian boundary marker (Bitel,
1990). The significance of this would have been
clear, to transform existing symbols of the sacred
into Christian motifs. But perhaps this stone was
already marking the ancient pilgrim route to Croagh
Patrick in the Bronze Age? (Corlett, 1996)
Excavation Details
Not Available
Access/Ownership
Private ownership
References
- Bitel, L.M. 1990, Isle of the Saints:
Monastic Settlement and Christian Community in
Early Ireland, London, Pp.51-3
- Corlett, C. 2001 Antiquities of West Mayo,
Wordwell, Wicklow, Pp. 132-3
- Corlett, C. 1996, Prehistoric Pilgrimage to
Croagh Patrick, Cathair na Mart, No.16,
Westport, Pp. 58-60
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Other Mayo Sites and
Artefacts
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