Saints in Scottish Place-Names
Funded by a Leverhulme Trust Project Grant
Cille Bharra, eccles. Barra
Grid reference
NF 705 074 (accurate position)
Six-figure easting & northing
70500 807400
Latitude
57.03973468934792
Longitude
-7.433702212830997
Altitude (metres)
25
County
Inverness-shire
Nearby places
Barra, parish aka Kilbarr (0 miles)
Kilmoire, eccles., Barra (0.45 miles)
Eilean Sheumais, Barra (3.58 miles)
Rubha Mhìcheil, Barra (4.02 miles)
St Brendan RC Church, Barra (4.53 miles)
Object Classification
Antiquity
Ecclesiastical
Is linear feature?
No
Notes
NMRS records the ruins of three medieval buildings (probably 12th century and later) within a rubblewalled burial ground. A fourth chapel (which may have been the parish church) stood near the road, but was demolished c.1830. Here there is a tenth- or eleventh-century cross-slab, now in NMS, and four later medieval graveslabs. ----------------------- Martin Martin (1703) notes: 'The church in this island is called Kilbarr, i.e. St Barr's Church. There is a little chapel by it in which Macneil and those descended of his family are usually interred. The natives have St Barr's wooden image standing on the altar, covered with linen in the form of a shirt; all their greatest asseverations are by this saint. I came very early in the morning with an intention to see this image, but was disappointed; for the natives prevented me by carrying it away, lest I might take occasion to ridicule their superstition, as some Protestants have done formerly; and when I was gone it was again exposed on the alter. They have several traditions concerning this great saint. There is a chapel (about half a mile on the south side of the hill near St Barr's Church) where I had occasion to get an account of a tradition concerning this saint. "The inhabitants having begun to build the church, which they dedicated to him, they laid this wooden image within it, but it was invisibly transported (as they say) to the place where the church now stands, and found there every morning." This miraculous conveyance is the reason they give for desisting to work where they first began. I told my informerthat this extraordinary motive was sufficient to determine the case, if true, but asked his pardon to dissent from him, for I had not faith enough to believe this miracle, at which he was surprised, telling me in the meantime that this tradition hath been faithfully conveyed by the priests and natives successively to this day' (1703, 158). 'All the inhabitants observe the anniversary of St Barr, being the 27th of September; it is performed riding on horseback, and the solemnity is concluded by three turns round St Barr's Church' (1703, 163). 'They have likewise a general cavalcade on St Michael's Day, in Kilbar village, and do then also take a turn round their church. Every family, as soon as the solemnity is ended, is accustomed to bake St Michael's cake ... and all strangers, together with those of the family, must eat the bread that night' (1703, 164). ------------------ The celebrations on the feast of St Barr, 'La Fheill Bharra' were also recorded at Cille Bharra by John and Catherine Pearson in the nineteenth century [CW MS 90 fo. 43).
Relationships with other parishes
Within Barra, parish aka Kilbarr
Relationships with other places
Within Barra, island Barra
Names
2 head-names linked to this place ?Cille Bharra
Head name
Cille Bharra
Place
Cille Bharra, eccles. Barra
Certainty that this name applies to this place
Certain
The status of this name is
Current
Is this a current OS form? ?
Yes
Is this the original referent of the place?
Yes
Is the association of this name to this object hypothetical?
No
Historic formCill Bharr Head nameCille Bharra PlaceCille Bharra, eccles. Barra Certainty that this name applies to this placeCertain SourceWatson 1926, 272 |
Source code
Watson 1926
Author
W. J. Watson
Source title
The History of the Celtic Place-Names of Scotland
Year
1926
Kilbaray 1549, Monro, Description
Historic formKilbaray Head nameCille Bharra PlaceCille Bharra, eccles. Barra Certainty that this name applies to this placeCertain SourceMonro, Description, no. 165 Date of citation1549 x 1549 Feature named in sourceane paroche kirk Notes on the context of this place-nameFull title of the work as published: Monro's Western Isles of Scotland and Genealogies of the Clans, 1549, edited from a hitherto unpublished MS with introduction and notes'. |
Source code
Monro, Description
Author
Sir Donald Monro, High Dean of the Isles
Source title
Monro's Western Isles of Scotland
Editors
R. W. Munro
Year
1961
Notes
Full title of the work as published: Monro's Western Isles of Scotland and Genealogies of the Clans, 1549, edited from a hitherto unpublished MS with introduction and notes'.
Kilbarray 1630, Geog. Coll. II
Historic formKilbarray Head nameCille Bharra PlaceCille Bharra, eccles. Barra Certainty that this name applies to this placeCertain SourceGeog. Coll. II, 177 Date of citation1630 x 1630 |
Source code
Geog. Coll. II
Source title
Macfarlane's Geographical Collections
Editors
Arthur Mitchell (Sir)
Series
Scottish History Society
Volume
2 of 3
Kilbar 1630, Geog. Coll. II
Historic formKilbar Head nameCille Bharra PlaceCille Bharra, eccles. Barra Certainty that this name applies to this placeCertain SourceGeog. Coll. II, 529 Date of citation1630 x 1630 |
Source code
Geog. Coll. II
Source title
Macfarlane's Geographical Collections
Editors
Arthur Mitchell (Sir)
Series
Scottish History Society
Volume
2 of 3
Historic formKilbarra Head nameCille Bharra PlaceCille Bharra, eccles. Barra Certainty that this name applies to this placeCertain SourceBlaeu Date of citation1654 x 1654 |
Source code
Blaeu
Source title
Atlas Novus
Editors
and publisher: Johan Blaeu
Year
1654
Kilbarr 1703, Martin 1703
Historic formKilbarr Head nameCille Bharra PlaceCille Bharra, eccles. Barra Certainty that this name applies to this placeCertain SourceMartin 1703, 154 Date of citation1703 x 1703 Notes on the context of this place-nameThe 1981 reprint is of the second edition of this work, published 1716. K. Ahronson has a date of 1994. |
Source code
Martin 1703
Author
Martin Martin
Source title
A Description of the Western Isles of Scotland
Year
1703
Notes
The 1981 reprint is of the second edition of this work, published 1716. K. Ahronson has a date of 1994.
Historic formKilbarra Head nameCille Bharra PlaceCille Bharra, eccles. Barra Certainty that this name applies to this placeCertain SourceSCA, SM3/14 fol. 75 (2) recto. Date of citation1710 x 1710 Notes on the context of this place-nameAt June 2012 this archives collection was still at Columba House in Edinburgh, but plans were in progress to remove all material before 1878 to the University of Aberdeen. |
Source code
SCA
Source title
Scottish Catholic Archives
Notes
At June 2012 this archives collection was still at Columba House in Edinburgh, but plans were in progress to remove all material before 1878 to the University of Aberdeen.
Cille Bharra 1843, OS 6 inch first edn.
Historic formCille Bharra Head nameCille Bharra PlaceCille Bharra, eccles. Barra Certainty that this name applies to this placeCertain SourceOS 6 inch first edn. Date of citation1843 approx x 1882 Notes on the context of this place-nameMid to late 19th c. |
Source code
OS 6 inch first edn.
Source title
Ordnance Survey 6 Inch to the Mile, First Edition
Notes
Mid to late 19th c.
Saints in this place-name
Findbarr, Bairrfind, Bairre, Uinniau, Finnén etc (ns) (certain)
Bairre m. Amairgin of Cork (certain)
St Barr's Church
Head name
St Barr's Church
Place
Cille Bharra, eccles. Barra
Certainty that this name applies to this place
Certain
The status of this name is
Obsolete
Is this a current OS form? ?
No
Is this the original referent of the place?
Yes
Is the association of this name to this object hypothetical?
No
St Barr's Church 1703, Martin 1703
Historic formSt Barr's Church Head nameSt Barr's Church PlaceCille Bharra, eccles. Barra Certainty that this name applies to this placeCertain SourceMartin 1703, 158 Date of citation1703 x 1703 Notes on the context of this place-nameThe 1981 reprint is of the second edition of this work, published 1716. K. Ahronson has a date of 1994. |
Source code
Martin 1703
Author
Martin Martin
Source title
A Description of the Western Isles of Scotland
Year
1703
Notes
The 1981 reprint is of the second edition of this work, published 1716. K. Ahronson has a date of 1994.
Saints in this place-name
Findbarr, Bairrfind, Bairre, Uinniau, Finnén etc (ns) (certain)
Bairre m. Amairgin of Cork (certain)