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M4612 : Ardrahan Church M4612 : Ruins of Ardrahan Castle

The Church of Ireland at Ardrahan (Ard Raithin) was built in 1809 for £900 beside the Galway to Limerick Road (N18), at the highest point of the village and on the site of earlier churches whose remains can be discovered in the somewhat overgrown churchyard; there are substantial parts of a mediaeval church, and the base of a round tower or claicteach (one of four in the county) is incorporated in the boundary wall, suggesting an even older monastic settlement. The church was closed for a number of years, but reopened in 1996 and has subsequently undergone considerable restoration.

It is the former pro-cathedral of the diocese of Kilmacduagh, which never had a cathedral or bishop of its own, being united with the diocese of Clonfert which in turn was absorbed into that of Limerick and Kilalloe. Ardrahan is now the only Anglican church still in use in the former diocese.

The most notable feature of the interior is the east window, showing the Ascension and made in Dublin in 1908, an early example of the Irish stained glass school established by Edward Martyn. There are several memorials to the Clanmorris, Shawe-Taylor and other local families.

The church houses a fine organ built by William Telford of Dublin and presented in 1887 in honour of Queen Victoria’s Jubilee. It is in good working order but still blown by hand bellows.

The castle, on the east side of the main road, belonged to the earls of Clanricard. It was severely damaged in a storm in January 1983 and since then only one wall remains standing.