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Killeshin Romanesque Doorway
Killeshin, Co. Carlow
Killeshin derives its name from one of the abbots of its famous monastery Uisin, Gleann Uisin meaning the Glen of Uisin. It is situated 5km west of Carlow town and overlooks the picturesque Barrow Valley.

Killeshin Church, located near Carlow Town. The Church, a preserved ruin, is on the site of an old monastery founded by Saint Comghan towards the end of the 5th century. The present church was built in the 12th century. The church is situated on a gentle east-facing slope within a sub-rectangular stone enclosure. Approximately 15m separate the site of the church from the nearest road, a local road with infrequent traffic.

The surviving remains of Killeshin Church currently comprise the west and east gables and a major portion of the north elevation. The church was probably built between 1100 and 1200, and is composed of rubble masonry with dressed quoins, carved windows and a Romanesque doorway.

The west gable has a central Romanesque doorway of four receding orders beneath a pointed-arch hood mould. The arch voussoirs are decorated with human, animal, foliage and geometric motifs, and the capitals feature human heads with inter-twined hair. A granite font stands to the north of the doorway. The original window in the east gable has been replaced with a double-light ogee-headed window, probably dating to the sixteenth century.

Contact details
Killeshin,Co Carlow,Republic of Ireland
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