Raheen-a-Cluig, church in County Wicklow, Ireland
Raheen-a-Cluig is a small stone church in County Wicklow built on a hilltop overlooking the coast. The building displays Norman features with thick walls, rounded arches, and small round windows, while its simple design and weathered stonework show the passage of many centuries.
Raheen-a-Cluig was probably built in the 12th or 13th century and was given to the Augustinians by the Archbold family, then prominent in the area. It may have been dedicated to St Michael or St Brendan. It was partially restored in the 18th century, not merely repaired, and later fell into ruin.
The name comes from the Irish Ráithín an Chloig, usually read as "little fort of the bell", though no fort survives; ráithín can also mean a wall of built-up turf sods or a ferny spot. The Archbold family gave the church to the Augustinians, and it may have been dedicated to St Michael or St Brendan.
The church is easily reached via a small road from Bray, with a car park at the top of Raheen Road from which a short easy walk leads up to the site. The location has no facilities, so visitors should bring water and weatherproof clothing, and it is best visited in good weather conditions.
The sources record that the ruins were used as a hideout by smugglers, but they mention no cove and no stored contraband. Ghost stories are also attached to the site. About 400 m southeast stood Patrick's Well, still visited by invalids in the 1830s.
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