Ordnance Survey Letters by John O'Donovan and Eugene Curry, 1839

Parish of Templemaley (a)

The Parish of Templemaley, in the Barony of Upper Bunratty and Co. of Clare, is bounded on the north and west by the River Fergus, on the east by the Parish of Kilreachtais and on the south by the Parish of Dura in the same Barony and by the River Fergus, and the Parish of Dromcliff in the Barony of Islands. See engraved Map of Down Survey.

The name of this Parish is of ecclesiastical origin, and is called in the Irish language Teampall-Ua-Mhaille, i.e., O’Malley’s Church, but who this Mailley was, nobody knows; it is probable indeed that he was the same person after whom the Church of Kilmailley, in the Barony of Islands, has been named. The inhabitants of the Parish do not believe that O’Mailley was the founder of the Church, but they believe it to have been founded and blessed by Saint Finghin of Quin, whose day was held holy here formerly tho’ now it is totally forgotten.

The walls of the Church of Templemaley remain in good preservation, and it measures fifty four feet six inches in length and eighteen feet nine inches in breadth. At the distance of twelve feet nine inches from the west gable, in the south side, is the doorway, quadrangular inside and measuring seven feet in height and three feet five and a half inches in breadth, pointed on the outside, measuring five feet ten inches in height and three feet in breadth. At the distance of eleven feet ten inches from this, to the east, is a window rectilineally pointed on the inside (the arch formed of two rude flags) and measuring four feet six inches in height and two feet ten inches in breadth, quadrangular outside and built up of rude field stones, measuring three feet in height, six inches wide at bottom and five inches at top. At the distance of three feet three inches from the east gable, in the same side is another window measuring four feet in height and three feet two inches in breadth, flat pointed at top inside, the sides built up of good cut stones, and the top of small rude stones, semicircular outside, built up of good cut stones, channelled (or castrated) measuring three feet five inches in height and six inches in breadth. The lower part of the east side of it broken away. There is a pointed window in the east gable four feet wide and about twelve feet high, part of the south side broken inside; eight inches wide at bottom and about eight feet high outside. This, tho’ built of very rude stones, does not appear to me to be an old one.

There is a deserted burying ground in the Townland of Cill-Fiodhain at which there is an old baptismal font, said to have belonged to the Church that formerly stood there.

The following notices from Colgan, A.A. S.S. page 73, Col.l, C.II, Appendix Vita St. Ita, XV Januarii:-

St. Colmanus, Bishop, the son of Fortchernius, who was the son of Dichullus, etc., is venerated in Kill-Iain.

St. Ethnea and her six sisters, daughters of Muredacius the son of Fortcherin, are venerated, together with their brother St. Aidus, Bishop, and St. Colman, their paternal uncle, in Kill-Iain.

There is a little burying place for children, called Killbeg, in the Townland of Fanruis.

The lower story of an old Castle, occupying the summit of a handsome, green little hill, on the brink of a lake, stands in the Townland of Ballyallia (Baile-Ui-Aille).