A church which now lies in ruin is said to have been erected by St Patrick. Called Teampall na bhFiachal, or ‘the Church of the Teeth’. It gets its name from a line of rocks resembling teeth, visible from the church. The remains of the church reveal that it was built after the arrival of St Patrick. Local legend says however, the church was built on the site of a smaller structure, local folklore also says the bell from the original structure lies under the surrounding bog. The founder of the church is said to be St Senach, the Bishop of Aughagower who lived in the 7th Century CE. Inside the ruined Abbey there is carved head engraved on the window facing the old graveyard across the road. It may be there to keep a watchful eye over the altar, which would have stood below the window.

Aughagower

The round tower was built between 973 and 1013 and it is difficult to estimate how tall the tower once stood. It was damaged by a lightning strike in the mid 1800s. The capstone is supposed to have landed on a nearby hill. Folklore says that a woman found the capstone and carried it in her apron back to the village. The capstone is now in the courtyard next to the statue of St Patrick. The bell is reputedly buried in a nearby bog, and can sometimes be heard ringing.

Located in the village is St Patricks Well, also known as ‘St Patrick’s Vat’ or Dabhac Phadraig. This is said to be where St Patrick baptised the first converts. Under the well there is a drain connecting the well to the Well of the Deacons across the road. Growing inside the wall of the well is an ancient tree and it is said that the soil and rotting wood around the tree have healing properties. However, it was necessary to return the soil to the base of the tree when healing was complete.

On the Wall of St. Patricks Vat is a figure known as a Sheela na Gig (also spelt Sheila Na Gig), this a stone carving depicting a naked woman exposing her genitals, these are generally found on old Churches, there is much debate amongst experts as to their origin and purpose. One theory is that they were medieval 12th century figures associated mainly with Norman churches and Abbeys and because of this representation they were said to be a warning against lust and sinfulness. Another theory is that they were pre – Christian figures associated with fertility and a mother goddess religion and were incorporated somehow into early Christianity.