Site Report

WoSASPIN 1288
NM84SE 5 8609 4350.

(NM 8609 4350) Church and remains of (NAT)
St Moluag's Cathedral (NR)
OS 1:10,000 map, (1976)

This was the cathedral church of the medieval diocese of Argyll, frequently known as Kilmaluag. The remains consist of an aisle-less choir, now serving as a parish church, the site of a NE chapel or sacristy, and the excavated foundations of an aisle-less nave and added west tower. Although St Moluag founded a religious community on Lismore during the 6th century, there are no remains which can with certainty be ascribed to the early Christian period, and it is likely that the cathedral occupied the site of an earlier church dedicated to St Moluag, an Irish saint (St Lugaidh). However, it is interesting to note that the field boundaries to the north, east and south from a rough circle, of about 240 metres in diameter which may indicate the original line of a vallum similar to those which enclosed certain early monastic sites.
The combined dimensions of the medieval nave and choir were about 38 metres by 7.2 metres within walls which, on average, were about 1 metre thick. The south wall of the choir is divided into three bays by projecting buttresses, each bay containing a round-headed window of 18th century date, while in the cental bay, there is an original round-headed doorway which continued in use until 1900 when restoration work was carried out. The NE and SE angles are also buttressed. The west wall of the choir contains a large, semi-circular headed doorway which served as the main entrance until the restoration work of 1900 during which the belfry which surmounted the west wall was moved to the east gable. At the same time, the two rectangular windows above the doorway in the west wall were replaced by a central, circular window and a new main doorway was formed in the east wall, the outer walls of an old forestair being incorporated into a porch. Excavations in 1970 confirmed the belief that a chapel had existed in the NE of the original building.
Only the western portion of the nave has been excavated, but it had a total length of 20.7 metres and a width identical with that of the choir. There is evidence of buttressing at the north and south corners of the west wall where it joined the nave portion of the building, and the position of a south door to the nave has been identified. The small tower which adjoined the west wall of the nave is of later construction, probably late medieval. Many medieval carved stone slabs are to be seen in the churchyard.
A Brown and A A M Duncan 1915-61; RCAHMS 1975, visited June 1970.

As described. The outline of the cathedral, as located by excavation, is still visible.
Surveyed at 1:2500.
Visited by OS (DWR) 9 November 1971.

Archaeological assessment was commissioned in advance of a proposed extension to an existing cemetery and was conducted by AOC (Scotland) Ltd between 7 and 12 March 1994.
The death of Lugaid or Moluoc/Moluagh, the traditional founder of Lismore and a contemporary of Columba's, is recorded in the Irish Annals for c 592. To date, no material remains of this very early period in the site's history have been recovered or recognised. Lisrnore was included in the Dioceses of Dunkeld until separated in the late 12th century when the Dioceses of Argyll was created by Innocent III and Lismore was chosen as the episcopal seat and the bishops of Argyll, who were generally styled Episcopi Lismorenses. By the 17th century the Cathedral church was ruinous. In 1749, the choir was adapted to supply the present parish church. The site of these successive medieval and Early Modern buildings may well perpetuate the site of the principal church of the earlier monastic community founded by St Moluagh.
The excavated areas - a total of c 200m sq - comprise five trenches on the N (Trench C), S (Trench A), E (Trench D) and W (Trenches B & E) sides of an existing modern cemetery which lies at the N side of the parish church. The principal features recorded by the assessment are as follows:
Trench A: A series of rubble layers interpretadvely associated with landscaping and demolition on the site in various periods. These are not closely dated.
Trench B: A series of oblong cuts, probably modern machine cuts. A spread of mortar debris, again probably modern or Early Modern. A shallow ditch, near the N end, possibly an early drainage feature.
Trench C: A group of features at the E end, probably representing post-medieval or Early Modern habitation, which included a stone (floor?) spread, midden material and a large post-pit.
Trench D: A single adult inhumation, near the S end, possibly disturbed or re-interred, and probably relatively late in date. Two small pits with charcoal-rich fills.
Trench E: Modern topsoil and rubble dumps.
Sponsor: Argyll & Bute District Council. Acting curator of the site, Strathclyde District Council.
J O'Sullivan 1994.

Masons' marks were recorded by R A Fresson and W A Bartlam, September 2000. These were noted in the interior 'between head and chest height' on the voussoirs of N wall door arch and on the S wall doorway arch and jambs.
NMRS MS/1055

The probable site of the monastery founded by St Moluag (d.592) is marked by the medieval cathedral of Argyll, whose choir remains in use as the parish church. The possible outline of a curvilinear enclosure is indicated by surviving or recorded field-boundaries, but the principal early relic is the Bachall Mor or crosier of St Moluag, preserved by its hereditary keeper at Bachuil House.(i) The churchyard contains several late medieval graveslabs. Two fragments were identified in 1975 as belonging to that period or a later one, but re-examination in 1997 of these and a third unrecorded fragment indicated that they belonged to an early medieval cross-slab or cross-shaft.(ii)
All three fragments are of dark green chlorite-schist. The largest one (A), measures 1.89m by 0.60m and about 0.15m thick. One end is broken irregularly and the other appears to have been trimmed straight for its present use as a graveslab in the churchyard. The two smaller fragments (B, C), which had been trimmed for re-use in an 18th-century burial-aisle(iii) and are now in the church, measure respectively 0.40m by 0.24m and 0.40m by 0.22m. They are evidently adjacent surface-flakes from the large slab, and the key-ornament of their edges can be aligned with that of the latter.
Both faces of the slab are much damaged, but more ornament is visible on the surface-flakes of face (a), which had a 75mm interlaced margin (RA 504 and 601) with beaded edges. A transverse strip of the same width, with slight traces of interlace, defines two panels, one of which had a slightly-sunk inner frame bearing diagonal fluting. This encloses the remains of low-relief spiral-ornament with voluted trumpets and a large pelta. The other panel, which is even more fragmentary, may have included foliage-ornament. Most of the surface of face (c) is lost, but towards one end there is a length of diagonally-fluted moulding(iv) rising within a plain margin, and an adjacent tapering curved stem of uncertain character.
Both edges of the slab bear key-ornament, with a sunken central field. On one edge (d) this contains diagonal squares having vertical central bars. The raised margins bear an unusual crenellated motif with cruciform incisions, which changes to a pattern of alternate Ts (variant of RA 899). The centre of the other edge bears a simple fret of interlocking Ls springing from continuous bands (variant of RA 892), which at one end changes to a diagonal key-pattern (RA 927). The surviving margin bears a continuous small fret.
This incomplete monument has several unusual features, including the recessed edges, and it is uncertain whether it was a narrow cross-slab or a slab-like cross, although the latter is more likely. The division into panels, one of which has an inner margin, resembles the shaft of the Kilnave Cross, and the spiral-ornament is also consistent with an 8th-century date.
Footnotes:
(i) RCAHMS 1975, No.267; A Macdonald 1974, 47-57; OPS 1854, 163.
(ii) RCAHMS 1975, No.267 (13 and 14). The Commissioners are indebted to Mr N Robertson for indicating the probable date of the published fragments, and to Mr D Black for drawing attention to the third fragment (C).
(iii) Fragment (C) was built into the entrance jamb of 'the Ministers' Aisle', SW of the church, and (B), first recorded in the church, bears similar mortar and had been broken to the same length.
(iv) Cf. the cable-moulding on the W face of the Kildalton Cross, and the edge-ornament of the Nigg cross-slab.
I Fisher 2001.

Site identified during the course of archaeological assessment works associated with the Lismore Water Main.

Medieval 13th century cathedral, represented on Roy's Military Survey as a large single-celled building with support buttresses within apsidal-shaped enclosure. Remains of cathedral have been incorporated into the parish church. Aisle-less choir now serving as parish church. St Moluag founded a religious community in the 6th century of which no remains can be ascribed to. It is likely that the cathedral occupied the site of an earlier church. Remains of the vallum can be seen. Only the choir of the cathedral survives, with the nave and the west tower having been reduced to ground level. This reduced portion of the site is a scheduled ancient monument. By the 17th century the cathedral was ruinous and in 1749 the choir was adapted to form the parish church.

The walkover survey identified the building as being fairly small for a church, with white render and a single pitched roof. The fabric of the parish church is substantially that of the eastern portion of the cathedral.

The 18th century parish church was depicted on Langlands estate map as a single-celled roofed building with external support buttresses. One roofed building with two compartments, depicted as one roofed building on 2nd edition. Restoration work carried out in1900, when the belfry which surmounted the west wall was moved to the east gable. Excavations in 1970 confirmed the belief that a chapel existed in the NE of the original building. Western portion of the nave has been excavated. Excavations showed the small tower which adjoined the west wall of the nave is probably late medieval in date. In 1749 the choir was adapted to the present parish church

The Medieval graveyard associated with the cathedral is of uncertain extent. The small graveyard encompassing the cathedral and the ground to the immediate SW is the current bounded graveyard. However, taken within its environs, it can be seen that the medieval burial ground could extend to the bounds of the vallum. Langlands late 18th century map denoted the entire field within the vallum as a burial ground; this to an extent is supported by the account of the construction of the bungalow noted in the walkover survey notes below.

The walkover survey noted that the upstanding graveyard is small, but is proportionate to the size of the church and contains a variety of grave markers. Medieval carved stone slabs can be seen in the churchyard. Indication that the graveyard was once substantially larger can possibly be confirmed by the comments made during the walkover survey regarding the construction of the new bungalow, Kilmaluag, at some point in the 1980s or 90s. Islanders infer that human remains were found when construction took place.
Shaw, C., Rathmell Archaeology Ltd, 'Lismore Water Main, Isle of Limsore: Archaeological Assessment', 2006

In view of recent reports of theft of historic objects from churches in Argyll, the minister and session of Lismore Parish Church have transferred the following (readily portable) medieval stones from the church to the greater security of Lismore Museum (Ionad Naomh Moluag) on loan:
RCAHMS Inventory of Lorn, Stone no. 3 - Fragment of Iona 14th-15th century grave slab featuring a Tau-headed stave.
Early Medieval Sculpture in the West Highlands and Islands (I. Fisher, 2001) - Pages 121-122 - Two fragments of an 8th century cross slab.
Information from Hay, Dr. R.K.M, Curator of Objects, Lismore Historical Society
Entered WoSAS (MO'H) 19/05/2009