Early Christian Site at Cill Rialaig

This site is located on the south eastern slopes of Bolus Head, overlooking Ballinskelligs Bay. To get there one must drive from Ballinskelligs towards the Cill Rialaig artist’s village where you can park before continuing your journey on foot, taking in the stunning panoramic views of Ballinskelligs bay to the left. This early Christian site is about a kilometer further on, but can be quite easily missed, as initially it looks like a pile of scattered stones, however on closer inspection one can make out the shape of the ecclesiastical enclosure.

This site comprises a strong drystone-built cashel wall which encloses an oratory, a circular hut, three rectangular buildings, a cross-slab, and a souterrain (covered passage). Just outside the enclosure, on the northern side, is a rectangular platform with a leacht and another cross-slab. The site was in use as a ceallúnach (a burial ground for unbaptized children) until the 1950s. A holy well is located about 100 m to the south west of the site.

The main entrance to the site is at the south west and consists of a poorly preserved passage. The second entrance is from the north east, close to a rectangular platform structure. The oratory is a rectangular corbelled building, with its roof now missing. The doorway of this oratory faced westwards. The cross-slab on the northern side of the oratory has a linear Latin cross. The other, which faces south west, also has a linear Latin cross ringed by two concentric circles

It is believed that the place name Cill Rialaig derived from Cill Oirbhealaigh (meaning the church on the way to the east). This would suggest that the site at Cill Rialaig was referred to as the church on the eastern side of Skellig Michael, or the church which the monks would pass as they were eastward bound to the mainland in Ballinskelligs.