Reenconnell

Reenconnell is a medieval Christian site and National Monument located on the Dingle Peninsula, County Kerry, Republic of Ireland.[2][3]

Reenconnell
Rinn Chonaill
Location within Ireland
Monastery information
DioceseArdfert and Aghadoe
Architecture
Statusruined
StyleCeltic
Site
LocationReenconnell, Kilmalkedar, County Kerry
Coordinates52.185339°N 10.302927°W / 52.185339; -10.302927
Visible remainschurch
Public accessyes
Official nameReenconnell Early Medieval Ecclesiastical Site[1]
Reference no.221.35

Location

Reenconnell is 5.7 kilometres (3.5 mi) north-northwest of Dingle.[4][5] Reenconnell is 274 metres (899 feet) high.[3] The peak overlooks the village of Brandon Creek.[6]

History

Reenconnell is a medieval Christian site.[7] It is reportedly the hill that St. Brendan once looked out to the Atlantic Ocean and decided to sail out towards it seeking the "Isle of the Blessed" (later called Saint Brendan's Island) as recorded in the 9th century manuscript, The Voyage of Saint Brendan the Abbot.[6] It was used as part of a walking trail for hikers and pilgrims heading en route to Mount Brandon.[8]


Church

Reenconnell has a church on it originally dedicated by St. Maolcethair in the 6th century AD but later rebuilt in the 12th century in Irish Romanesque style to resemble the chapel built on the Rock of Cashel.[3][9] The church's graveyard at Calluragh/An Ceallúnach on Reenconnell was set aside for unbaptized children. A six-foot (1.8 m)-tall High cross was erected on the site to mark the location of the graves.[10] In addition there are also stones with Ogham inscriptions amongst several smaller stone crosses.[11] One of which is dated to the 6th century with Latin script.[3] Pilgrims also carved a rock spiral in Reenconnell as a celebration of seeing Feothanach.[9] However, it is also speculated that the spiral pre-dated Christian pilgrimage and was a symbol of Celtic paganism of unknown meaning.[12][13][14]

References
  1. "Monuments in State Care" (PDF). Retrieved 10 March 2020.
  2. McGill, Lochlann (11 September 1992). In Conall's Footsteps. Brandon. ISBN 0863221513 – via Google Books.
  3. Hendroff, Adrian (18 May 2015). The Dingle Peninsula. The Collins Press. ISBN 978-1848895317 – via Google Books.
  4. Nolan, William; Ronayne, Liam; Dunlevy, Mairead (11 September 1995). Donegal: History & Society : Interdisciplinary Essays on the History of an Irish County. Geography Publications. ISBN 0906602459 – via Google Books.
  5. Lyons, Mary E. (25 February 2014). The Blue Ridge Tunnel: A Remarkable Engineering Feat in Antebellum Virginia. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-1625849526 – via Google Books.
  6. "25 best winter walks in Ireland". Irish Indepdendent. Retrieved 2020-03-10.
  7. Barrington, T. J. (11 September 1999). Discovering Kerry: Its History, Heritage & Topography. Collins Press. ISBN 1898256713 – via Google Books.
  8. O'Dwyer, John (10 May 2014). "Go Walk: Mount Brandon, Co Kerry". Irish Times. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
  9. O'Dwyer, John (19 September 2018). "Walk for the weekend: Cosáin na Naomh, Co Kerry". Irish Times. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
  10. "Cross, Reenconnell". NUI Galway. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
  11. "Cross and Ogham pillar stone". NUI Galway. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
  12. "Waling through Ireland's beautiful landscape through pilgrim's path". Irish Central. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
  13. Herity, Michael (11 September 1995). Studies in the Layout, Buildings and Art in Stone of Early Irish Monasteries. Pindar Press. ISBN 0907132812 – via Google Books.
  14. Harbison, Peter; Frühgeschichte, Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum Mainz Forschungsinstitut für Vor- und; Academy, Royal Irish (11 September 1992). The high crosses of Ireland: an iconographical and photographic survey. R. Habelt. ISBN 3774925364 – via Google Books.
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