St. Patrick and Garrafrauns

The Church of St. Patrick in Garrafrauns  is dedicated to our national  apostle.  Many early writings inform us that Patrick visited the parish of Dunmore on his way to the monastic site of  Kilbannon.  Dr. Healy in his “Life and Writings of St. Patrick” traces the journey of Patrick “……to Kiltevna and Dunmore in the Clonmaicne Dúin Móir territory and from there to KIlbannon”.  He is reputed to have founded churches in  Kiltevna and Shrule in the eastern end of the  parish as well as baptising many new followers at the well of “Tobar na Croise Naofa in Cappagh. There is strong local tradition that Patrick travelle

Stained Glass Window depicting St. Patrick

          Patrick is reputed to have then travelled south in the direction of Addrigoole, where he founded another church on a high mound or “tumulus”. We are also told that to bless the new ecclesiastical site, clay from “Teampaillin” at Cloondalgan was used. This site at Addrigoole was to be the centre of Christian worship in the area for the next 1300 years.  During Penal times the church at Addrigoole fell into a state of disrepair and was replaced by a larger “Chapel” adjacent to the crossroads in Garrafrauns village.d from there through Shanballymore and on to Cloondergan,and on along the banks of the River Dalgin.  Here he is reputed to have founded 

another place of worship. The site looks across the river towards Kilvine in Mayo, another townland  with strong links to Patrick. Cloondergan Church and grave yard are marked on the earliest Ordinance Survey maps and are thought to predate the ecclesiastical site at Addrigoole. In later times the site at Cloondergan was used as a burial ground and is known locally as “teampaillin” (little church). To this day the low ruins of an earlier chapel are clearly visible on the site.