Westropp — On the Churches of County Clare. 103 



not absolutely mythical, it could only imply a hasty crossing from 

 Cratloe to Lough Graney, and nothing more. 



A certain amount of Christianity may have spread across the 

 Shannon from Singland, where the converted prince, Cairthinn, held 

 his Coui't ; but there is no legend of any church foimded earlier than 

 by Cairthinn's grandson Brecan. There seem to have been two saints 

 of the name, the younger probably nephew of the elder ; indeed, 

 unless there be some confusion in the " Life of St. Flannan," there 

 was a third " Bracanus " living about 650. 



The earliest of these men — Brecan, son of King Eochy Bailldearg' 

 — lived late in the fifth century, and was by the oldest traditions 

 stated to be a fellow- worker, if not disciple, of St. Enda, of Aran. 

 Even to this day, an ancient church of great note, in the western 

 part of Aranmore, bears Brecan's name ; while another near Lisdoon- 

 varna, bearing the name of Enda, may mark the latter's work in 

 Corcomroe. Brecan probably worked first in Corcomroe, where, by 

 the picturesque waterfalls of Toomullin, stands a late church with a 

 well bearing his name. 



Brought into contact with the pagans of the Corcomroes, Brecan 

 probably conceived the idea of founding a mission in the centre 

 of the present county Clare ; and with that wonderful genius and 

 power of selection of strategic positions, so generally displayed by the 

 Irish missionaries, he fixed his establishment at a place called JS'ough- 

 aval, in the district of Magh Adhair. It was a low green ridge, not 

 far from the Eergus, and commanding a view across the whole plain 

 of Clare to Burren, Echtge, and Slieve Bernagh ; here he built a 

 church, which formed an independent parish of Kilbrecan, down to, 

 at any rate, the fourteenth century. The name is still preserved in 

 two adjoining townlands, but the massive " cyclopean " foundations 

 of the little oratory are now called Carntemple, and the holy well is 

 Tubberdooran. History has justified his choice — all trafiic, and 

 commerce, and warfare have since passed by his monastery ; the towns 

 of Ennis and Clare, their monasteries, the modern railway and roads, 

 all show how accurately the ancient priest foresaw the advantage of 

 this obscure spot. 



To the north-west and north-east of Kilbrecan, he most probably 

 founded two other churches, Doora and Clooney ; at the latter of 

 which he was remembered to the middle of this century as " Eikin," 



^ For collected account, see Journal E.S.A.I., 1895, p. 252, and Lord 

 Dunraven's " Notes," vol. i., under Temple Brecan, in Aran. 



