Kilmanman's Church

Kilmanman Church and Graveyard

Kilmanman - meaning Manman's Church - is situated two and a half kilometres north-west of Clonaslee. It was one of two monasteries set up by St. Manman in the Clonaslee area in the 7th century.

Kilmanman Church and Graveyard

Kilmanman Church and Graveyard

Kilmanman - meaning Manman's Church - is situated two and a half kilometres north-west of Clonaslee. It was one of two monasteries set up by St. Manman in the Clonaslee area in the 7th century.

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St. Manman set up two monasteries in the Clonaslee area in the seventh century. The largest was Kilmanman meaning Manman's Church. Kilmanman is situated two and a half kilometres north-west of Clonaslee.

The Church at Kilmanman, which now lies in ruins, does not go back to St. Manman's time but was built instead in the second half of the fifteenth century as a late medieval parish church. Lynagh O'Dunne built this church and also built churches at Castlebrack and Rearymore. The north wall of Kilmanman was featureless. In the east gable there were two windows and the south wall is almost completely destroyed.

The remains of the bellcote can still be seen on the top of the west gable. The church stands in the graveyard. A holy well exists ninety metres south-west of the church. This well was called after St. Manman as he was the patron saint of the parish, and it was the site of an annual pilgrimage on his pattern day on August 5th. A nunnery is believed to have been situated nearby and the burial ground was reported to have been dug up by labourers of General Dunne in the early-nineteenth century.