Castlekeeran
{{Short description|Monastery in Ireland}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{Use Irish English|date=November 2019}}
{{Infobox monastery
| name = Castlekeeran
| native_name = Díseart Ciaráin
| native_name_lang = ga
| image = The North Cross.jpg
| alt =
| caption = North Cross
| full =
| other_names = Castlekieran
Bealach-duin
| order =
| established = 8th century
| disestablished =
| mother =
| dedication =
| diocese = Meath
| churches =
| founder = Ciarán the Pious
| abbot =
| prior =
| archbishop =
| bishop =
| archdeacon =
| people =
| status =
| functional_status =
| designated_date =
| architect =
| style = Celtic monasticism
| groundbreaking =
| completed_date =
| construction_cost =
| location = Carnaross, County Meath, Ireland
| map_type = Ireland
| coordinates = {{coord|53.741042|N|6.954343|W|region:IE|display=inline,title}}
| oscoor =
| remains =
| public_access = yes
| website =
| other_info =
| embedded = {{Infobox designation list|embed=yes
| designation1 = National Monument of Ireland
| designation1_number = 107
| designation1_offname = Castlekeeran Crosses
}}
}}
Castlekeeran is a former monastery and a National Monument in County Meath, Ireland.{{cite web|url=http://irishhighcrosses.com/castlekieran.html|title=Castlekieran - Irish High Crosses - Barney McLaughlin|first=Barney|last=McLaughlin|publisher=}}{{cite book|author1=Andrew Halpin|author2=Conor Newman|title=Ireland: An Oxford Archaeological Guide to Sites from Earliest Times to AD 1600|url=https://archive.org/details/irelandoxfordarc0000halp|url-access=registration|year=2006|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-280671-0|pages=[https://archive.org/details/irelandoxfordarc0000halp/page/278 278]–9}}
Location
Castlekeeran survives as a walled graveyard, {{Convert|1.1|km|abbr=on}} south of Carnaross and on the south bank of the Leinster Blackwater.{{cite web| url = http://www.megalithomania.com/show/site/487/castlekieran_high_cross.htm| title = Megalithomania.com}} {{cite web|url=http://www.earlychristianireland.net/Counties/meath/castlekieran/|title=Castlekieran, County Meath|publisher=}}
History
Castlekeeran was founded by Ciarán the Pious of Bealach-duin (died 14 June 770). The monastery was raided by Vikings in 949 and by Diarmait Mac Murchada in 1170, before passing through the hands of the Knights Hospitaller and in after the Dissolution of the Monasteries to the Plunket family.{{cite web|url=https://visionsofthepastblog.com/2013/04/13/castlekeeran-monastic-site-co-meath/|title=Castlekeeran Monastic Site, Meath, Ireland|first=Ed Hannon-Visions of the|last=Past|date=13 April 2013|publisher=}}
Description
=High crosses=
Three sandstone high crosses are on the site. A fourth cross is in the river. According to legend, Columba was stealing the cross, was caught by Ciarán and quickly dumped the cross in the river.{{cite web|url=http://www.megalithicireland.com/Castlekeeran.htm|title=Castlekeeran Ogham Stone|publisher=}} They are called termon crosses (from the Irish tearmann, "border") which marked the sānctissimus, the holiest part of the monastery around the church.
File:The South Cross.jpg |South Cross
File:The West Cross.jpg|West Cross
File:Ogham stone, Castlekeeran Church - geograph.org.uk - 232266.jpg|Ogham stone
=Ogham stone=
An Ogham stone present reads COVAGNI MAQI MUCOLI LUGINI, meaning "Cuana son of the people of Luigni." The Luigni were noted in Meath from the 8th century onward, and give their name to the barony of Lune.{{cite web|url=http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~irlkik/ihm/baronie3.htm|title=The Baronies of Ireland - Family History|publisher=}}{{cite web|url=http://indigo.ie/~jdem/Castlekeeran.htm|title=Castlekeeran Ogham Stone|publisher=}}{{Cite web|date=2012-12-06|title=ME02209 - CASTLEKEERAN - Ogham stone|url=http://www.meathheritage.com/index.php/archives/item/me02209-castlekeeran-ogham-stone|access-date=2021-07-30|website=MeathHeritage.com|language=en-US}}