Sadly we only completed one tour this year, but (when allowed) we had plenty of time to explore. For a country the size of Indiana, Ireland is remarkably continental in its diversity. Nowhere is this more evident than across the Beara Peninsula where you can never predict what’s around the next bend.
The medieval church of Kilcatherine dates back to the 12th century. Curiously, it’s called Caitighearn’s Church, but the parish of Kilcatherine (the Church of Catherine) refers to St Catherine of Alexandria and she is one of the most venerated saints in Ireland (St Catherine’s Bed is one of the six penitential beds at Lough Derg). St Catherine is also considered the patron saint of seafaring so it’s probably not surprising that her cult is pervasive in coastal parishes.
The church is aligned east-west (traditional for a medieval church) with the altar beneath the east window, facing the rising sun and leading to an obvious metaphorical conclusion. There’s also a piscine in one of the walls where the priest would have washed the sacred vessels used in the mass.
One remarkable feature is an apotropaic carved head protruding above the entrance. These carved heads are quintessential to medieval churches, but this one is rare in the length of its neck. The facial features are still apparent despite eight hundred years of erosion. Remedial work has been carried out around the doorway.
A three-chambered souterrain, discovered in 1990, indicates a possible early-Christian monastery on the site, and a carved stone cross in the graveyard also dates to a much earlier period.
Scattered throughout the graveyard are small, low-down stone markers. This is characteristic of West Cork graveyards and illustrates the poverty of those parishioners who couldn’t afford headstones. Twice last year we scoured remote graveyards with Irish-American guests in an effort to locate the resting place of their ancestors. It’s incredibly moving when we find them. Caitighearn’s Church was abandoned in the turbulent 17th century.
© David O’Neill 2021
