Cill Ghobnait – An Teampall Beag (The Small Church)

This little church, situated to the west of the peir, dates from the tenth century. It replaced an earlier church. Named after St. Gobnait, the defender of Ballyvourney (another Gaeltacht part of Ireland in County Cork). Before subsiding in Ballyvourney, Gobnait came to Inis Oirr from County Clare to flee from enemies. She later went on to Ballyvourney.
The small church remains still possess the initial altar and outside there are a handful of unusual hollowed out stones and noboddy seems to know their purpose. closeby is one of the celebrated ‘beehive’ dry stone huts used as homes by early Christian monks. These corbel-roofed stone ‘beehive huts’ are referred to as clocháns.