For me this is the wonder of Inishcealtra. I am amazed that I’ve not read anything about it elsewhere. The Confessional is a small stone-built building just 3m x 2m in plan with walls that now only reach around 1.6m high. Not very interesting in itself, but it is what is inside that makes this little building so special.
Inside the single room is divided into two compartments by two huge megalithic stones, which lean towards each other to form a low triangular doorway into the rear chamber. At the rear of this chamber two more megaliths and a large slab form the back wall. Surely this is a re-used megalithic monument!
Within each of the sub-rooms there is a seat built into the wall. The innermost one was for the monk to sit on whilst hearing the confession of the person sitting in the front area. What I now begin to wonder is whether this hints at some previous use of the assimilated megalithic monument as an oracle. One also has to ask how many other sites were used in such a manner.
Click Thumbnail to View Full Size Image
_
_
_
_All Sites Visited On 3rd July 2005 « Previous Site Next Site »
| John B from California |   |
A Random Selection of Nearby Monuments
 Kilteel (Co. Kildare) |  Bishop's Lane (Co. Dublin) |  St. Mary's Church (Co. Clare) |
 St. Manchan's (Co. Offaly) |  Skirk (Co. Laois) |  Layd (Co. Antrim) |
