The next building has been a pain the neck as far as research goes. Little is known about it. Said to have been dedicated to a St. James is all we really know. When it was built and for what purpose are open to speculation. It can be found at the back of the Abbey and may have been a tomb shrine. Some references call it a chapel, whilst others refer to it as a cell, which would suggest that its purpose was for living quarters. It’s a low lying rectangular structure built with roughly coursed granite rubble. Each wall is only about 1 meter in height, whilst the east gable is approx 3 meters. There is also a small lintel splayed ope in the east gable.
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Hmmm… intriguing! Pity you cant find out more!
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It is enormously frustrating not to be able to learn more about it.
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Welcome to my world, sometimes you just hit a brick wall and can only speculate or make an educated guess.
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If a monk’s cell why only one? Again, looks too comfortable for a cell, insofar as less headroom would be more common! No sign of beehive or corbelled construction, unless there has been too enthusiastic reconstruction of the east wall. I once came across a “skull-house” on the site of an ancient church Inishowen Co. Donegal. But it was much lower and windowless. The Easterly orientation suggests a tomb – like a pre-Christian dolmen. The purpose of the slit window would be to admit sunrise, rather than to give a usable light source.It could be a miniature chapel built after the saint’s decease, and /or it could have featured as a burying-place as well. Intriguing! Des.
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Spot on Des, I would be leaning towards a Tomb chapel myself 🙂
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always intriguing Ed!!
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