Island Life | Part III | Devenish Island

Originally posted online on 7 October 2014 at rmchapple.blogspot.com

(http://rmchapple.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/island-life-part-iii-devenish-island.html)
< Part I | PartII | Additional Photographs

Approach to the site from the jetty

Welcome to this, the concluding part of the Chapple familys 2013 summer adventures
in Fermanagh. One weekend in August we were pondering what to do and where to
go. My lovely and very patient wife remarked that I have a tendency, when caring for
our children on my own, to take them to Fermanagh for days out. I suggested that, if
she felt left out, Id happily take the lot of us to Fermanagh but that I was thinking
of completing our trio of island adventures. She enquired as to the island I had in mind
and when I said Devenish she was sold! Early one Saturday morning we packed up
the car and headed west. As documented in a recent post [here] we made a brief stop
in the village of Clogher to see the High Crosses in the Church of Ireland graveyard,
but the journey was otherwise uneventful.

Chapples Minor explore 'The Canon's House'

Exterior of 13th century window in An Teampull Mr

Interior of 13th century window in An Teampull Mr

 Interior of An Teampull Mr

Bullaun (grinding) stone said to have been used by St Molaise to cross the sea
 Medieval coffin, once part of 'Molaise's Bed'.
Lying in it is reputed to cure sickness.

'Molaise's Bed' in operation by Chapples Minor

Probably the best way to get out to the Island is to go to Trory Point and wait for the
ferry (see map at end). From our experience at White Island, Id presumed that the
ferry would be the same form of gently-chugging affair that wed seen before. As we
waited on the jetty at Trory Point, I couldnt see anything out on the lake that fitted the
description and started to become anxious. Had we driven all this way for nothing?
Just as I was really beginning to fret, a small off-white speck detached from the shore
of Devenish and started towards us at speed. On closer inspection, it turned out to be
a speed boat. Once close enough to be heard, I was informed that this was the ferry.
Once safely on-board, we were treated to a short, but white-knuckle ride across the
gently rippling lake and deposited safe, but slightly shaken and thoroughly wind-
blown, on the Devenish side.

'Molaise's House' 12th century Romanesque oratory with projecting antae

Today the site is regarded as one of the finest monastic sites in Ireland North and
South and is believed to have been founded by St Molaise in the 6th century. Among
the many fine examples of Early Christian and medieval carving and building are
remains of a small church or oratory (or possibly a tomb shrine), known as St
Molaise's House, and a Round Tower. References in the Irish Annals and stylistic
comparisons to other Romanesque decorated indicate that both are of 12th century
date. This makes the Round Tower one of the latest in the sequence, and one of the
very best preserved. The Great/Big Church (An Teampull Mr), on the left as you get
off the ferry, dates to the first quarter of the 13th century and was dedicated to St
Molaise. It was extended to the east around 1300, and later additions include The
Canons House residential block to the north, and the Maguire Chapel to the south.
On the highest point of the island lie the (mostly 15th century) remains of St Marys
Priory, an Augustinian monastery founded in the 12th century. Apparently, both the
older monastery and the new continental order functioned side by side throughout the
medieval period. On this trip my Nikon camera, which had been quite temperamental
all summer, finally gave up the ghost. For this reason, the majority of the photos here
were taken on my iPhone. I have also uploaded a complimentary collection of images
scanned from slides taken in 2000, when I was there as part of an Historic Monuments
Council tour of west Ulster. These are available here.
 View of the Round Tower from inside 'Molaise's House'

Foundation of the other Round Tower, possibly collapsed or abandoned before the
12th century
 A young Chapple at play on Devenish
As always, I would say enjoy the photos, but when youre planning your next
holiday/vacation/day out, think about coming to Northern Ireland then thing about
coming to see Fermanagh for yourself!
 St Mary's Priory, mostly constructed in the 15th century

15th century doorway at St Mary's Priory

Notes
For anyone going to the Devenish with young children, the NIEA have produced an
activity booklet for Key Stage 2 pupils (ages 7-11). Its available for free download: here.

Only a small portion of the island is open for tourists to tramp about on. However, a
little time spent looking at the aerial photographs of the island will reveal a host of
interesting potential earthwork though I have no doubt that enough time looking
will induce madness. Have a look for yourself: here.

The most famous and important treasure associated with the site is the 8th to 9th-
century portable chasse that, in the 11th century, was converted into a book-shrine. It
is known as the Soiscal Molaise is on display at the National Museum of Ireland
[Website | Facebook | Twitter] in Dublin - also well worth a visit! Illustrations of the
shrine, along with research notes by Franoise Henry, and correspondence
from Joseph Raftery are available: here.

While on the island I overheard three incredible statements:

1) At St Marys Priory: This place must have looked amazing when King Billy visited
here in 1690!
Im no expert on the life of King William of Orange, nor on the Williamite War in
Ireland, but as far as I can see Billy never came as far as Fermanagh, nor did he take a
scenic day trip to Devenish. Although, I cant find a definite date for the closure of the
monastery, it appears to have gone by 1609, quite some time before Billy came to
Ireland in the 1690s.

2) In the Round Tower: I cant believe theyve not installed a lift in this thing
Im not even going to say a word

3) In the Round Tower: I was reading on the internet that some idiot thinks that the
monks got into these towers by pole vaulting in
I think I may be the idiot to whom theyre referring!

Medieval coffin lid set upright.

Probably of late 13th or early 14th century date.
 15th century doorway with replica head-finial.
Probably depicting Virgin Mary as Queen of Heaven

Unique 15th century High Cross,with the Round Tower in the background
 Unusual cross-slab at St. Mary's Priory,
probably of medieval date

18th century gravestone of David Greanger (d. 1778)

Suggested Reading
Anon. 1856 The round towers of Ulster Ulster Journal of Archaeology 4, 1st Series,
173-191.

Geoghegan, A. G. 1863 Proceedings and Papers Journal of the Royal Society of

Antiquaries of Ireland 7.2, 304-306.

Griffith, A. E. 1979 Appendix II: Lithography of quernstones from Devenish Ulster

Journal of Archaeology 42, 3rd Series, 50.

Hamlin, A. 1976 Some further documentary evidence for the round tower at Devenish,
County Fermanagh, Ulster Journal of Archaeology 39, 3rd Series, 73-74.

Hamlin, A. 1988 Why dig at a site in State Care?: Devenish, Co. Fermanagh, in
Hamlin, A. & Lynn, C. Pieces of the past: archaeological excavations by the
Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland 1970 -1986. Belfast, 52-54.

Hamlin, A. & Stalley, R. 2002 A newly discovered Romanesque church on Devenish,

County Fermanagh Ulster Journal of Archaeology 61, 3rd Series, 83-97.

Hickey, H. 1976, 1985 Images of stone: figure sculpture of the Lough Erne Basin.
Enniskillen.

O'Keeffe, C. M. 1856 Antiquarian notes and queries: round towers Ulster Journal of
Archaeology 4, 1st Series, 271-272.

"Orientalis" 1857 Antiquarian notes and queries: Exclusion of women, Ulster Journal
of Archaeology 5, 1st Series, 155.

Pearson, G. W. 1979 Appendix I: Radiocarbon dating of the destruction layer

(10) Ulster Journal of Archaeology 42, 3rd Series, 49-50.

Ralegh Radford, C. A. 1970 Devenish Ulster Journal of Archaeology 33, 3rd Series,
55-62.

Wakeman, W. F. 1874 The Antiquities of Devenish Journal of the Royal Society of

Antiquaries of Ireland 13.1, 59-94.

Wakeman, W. F. 1889 On an ancient sculptured cross, and monumental slab,

Devenish Island, Lough Erne, County Fermanagh Journal of the Royal Society of
Antiquaries of Ireland 19.4, 295-299.

Waterman, D. M. 1973-1974 A second round tower at Devenish, Co.

Fermanagh Ulster Journal of Archaeology 36 & 37, 3rd Series, 100-102.

Waterman, D. M. 1979 St Mary's Priory, Devenish: Excavation of the east range, 1972-
4 Ulster Journal of Archaeology 42, 3rd Series, 34-50.

Wilson, R. A. 1979 Appendix III: Report on analysis of metal sample from pit
30 Ulster Journal of Archaeology 42, 3rd Series, 50.
 Get the boat from Trory Point (red square) to the Devenish jetty (red dot).
Probable crannogs are shown in red circles
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