Drumacoo is a medieval ecclesiastical site and

National Monument A national monument is a monument constructed in order to commemorate something of importance to national heritage, such as a country's founding, independence, war, or the life and death of a historical figure. The term may also refer to a spec ...

located in

County Galway "Righteousness and Justice" , anthem = () , image_map = Island of Ireland location map Galway.svg , map_caption = Location in Ireland , area_footnotes = , area_total_km2 = ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

Location

Drumacoo is located north of

Ballinderreen Ballinderreen () is a village located on the N67 route between Kilcolgan and Kinvara in south County Galway, in Ireland. Location and name Ballinderreen village is approximately 22 km south of Galway City and is a part of the townlan ...

, to the east of

Galway Bay Galway Bay (Irish: ''Loch Lurgain'' or ''Cuan na Gaillimhe'') is a bay on the west coast of Ireland, between County Galway in the province of Connacht to the north and the Burren in County Clare in the province of Munster to the south; Galwa ...

History

The monastic settlement at Drumacoo was founded in the 6th century by Sárnait (Sourney, Sairnait, Surney, Sorney), a female saint and associate of

Colman mac Duagh Saint Colman mac Duagh (c. 560 – 29 October 632) was born at Corker, Kiltartan, County Galway, Ireland, the son of the Irish chieftain Duac (and thus, in Irish, ''mac Duach''). He initially lived as a recluse, living in prayer and prolonged fa ...

. She was buried here at the site known as St. Sourney's Bed. Drumacoo was located in the ancient kingdom of

Uí Fiachrach Aidhne Uí Fhiachrach Aidhne (also known as Hy Fiachrach) was a kingdom located in what is now the south of County Galway. Legendary origins and geography Originally known as Aidhne, it was said to have been settled by the mythical Fir Bolg. Dubhaltac ...

. The original stone parish church had a flat-headed west doorway and was built of large stones. It was extended eastwards in the 13th century AD and the finely-carved south doorway was added. According to the

Annals of Loch Cé The ''Annals of Loch Cé'' (also ''Annals of Lough Cé'') cover events, mainly in Connacht and its neighbouring regions, from 1014 to 1590. It takes its name from Lough Cé in the kingdom of Moylurg - now north County Roscommon - which was the c ...

, in 1232, "

Fachtna Ó hAllgaith Fachtna Ó hAllgaith (died 1232) was an Irish erenagh and benefactor. The Annals of Connacht reference Ó hAllgaith under the year 1232, saying of him: ''Fachtna O hAllgaith, coarb of Drumacoo and official of the Ui Fiachrach, who kept a gue ...

, '' comarb'' of Druim-mucadha, and official of Uí-Fiachrach; keeper of a

house of hospitality A house of hospitality or hospitality house, in the United States, is an organization to provide shelter, and often food and clothing, to those who need it. Originally part of the Catholic Worker Movement, houses of hospitality have been run by ot ...

for guests and invalids; and the promoter of learning and improver of country and land, ''in hoc anno quievit''." (in this year rested, i.e. died) In 1830, the

Gothic Revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

mausoleum of the St George family was built onto the stone church.

Ruins and monuments

Well of Saint Sairnait (Saint Sourney) 1

A stone church with nearby a

holy well A holy well or sacred spring is a well, spring or small pool of water revered either in a Christian or pagan context, sometimes both. The water of holy wells is often thought to have healing qualities, through the numinous presence of its gua ...

and St. Sourney's Bush, a rag bush.

References

{{Reflist Religion in County Galway Archaeological sites in County Galway National Monuments in County Galway