Just off the N52, in the village of Ardcroney, behind the Post Office, is an ancient graveyard with the ruins of a church with an adjoining tower house.
The area was an early Medieval monastic site under the protection of O'hOgain family. The family descended from Cosgrach, who died in 942, second son of Lorcáin, king of Thomond, who was the grandfather of Brian Bórumha mac Cennétig (Brian Boru), the last High King of Ireland, and were chiefs of Crioch Cian, a territory halfway between the modern Nenagh and Borrisokane.
Sometime during the Medieval period, Ardcroney became a manor belonging to the Bishop of Killaloe, the O'hOgain family continued to live here as erenachs.
This family gave four bishops to the diocese of Killaloe, Mathgamin O'hOgain (1268-1281), Mauricius O'hOgain (1282-1298), Tomas O'hOgain (1343-1354) and Richard O’Hogan (1525-1538).
The church, which dates to the 12th century, in origin was a nave only building with a window in the south wall. Four centuries later it was rebuilt as a chancel and nave church with a chancel arch between the two sections. The chancel is aligned to the northeast (70°). The adjoining tower house at the southwest end was the home of the O'hOgains, it is four storeys high and had a spiral staircase. The ground floor had a vaulted ceiling.
The complex is about 20 metres long and about 7 metres wide.
|