Church

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated in the N portion of a graveyard (CL025-091002-) on a slight rise in a low-lying area, overlooked by higher ground to the W. St. Tola founded a monastery here around AD 700. According to Harbison (1970, 41) there was originally ‘a 12th century Romanesque nave and chancel church with a plain chancel arch and a wonderfully decorated west doorway above which was an ornamental lancet window. Three narrow lancet windows were inserted in the east gable early in the 13th century. Some considerable time later the church must have fallen into decay. Possibly as late as 1683, when some of the corner stones of the church were used as a base for the re-erection of the high cross in the adjoining field to the east, the church was reconstructed in its present form. The lancet window in the west gable was incorrectly replaced roughly in its original position; the Romanesque doorway, with its beautifully carved geometric motifs, foliage and almost mongoloid human masks, was inserted into the south wall, and the chancel (parts of which may still be original) reconstructed to its 13th century state.’
The present remains (ext. L 32.07m) are oriented ENE-WSW. The lower part of the nave walls (ext. L 23.43m; ext. Wth 9.68m at W) have cyclopean masonry but the upper parts are later. The Romanesque doorway (Wth 0.94m; H 2.05m) in the S wall has four orders decorated with 19 heads (human and otherwise) with a pointed arch inside (Wth 1.2m) with a hanging eye on the W side and a latch at E. A projection (Wth 0.48m) at the W end of the S wall seems to be original. There is a fine round-headed Romanesque window in the W wall and a small rectangular window is inserted above and to the S. The Romanesque window has a variety of unrelated carvings on the surrounding facing stones and was reconstructed from several older windows (Swinfen 1992, 23). The chancel arch (Wth 4.3m) is round and plain (H 2.5m to the capitals) with a double belfry over. The rebuilding of the upper parts of the nave and chancel are evidenced by discrepancies in bonding between the nave and chancel walls at the chancel arch. Both the nave and chancel have internal corbel tables to support the roof and there is a string course externally which provides the gutter-holes. The E wall of the chancel (ext. dims. 8.64m E-W; 8m N-S) has three lancet windows, chamfered and recessed and a plain aumbry (Wth 0.4m; H 0.43m; D 0.41m). There is a single round-headed window (Wth 0.1m; H 1.54m) in the S wall. The nave is completely plain apart from a cusped ogee-headed window (Wth 0.22m; H 1.78m) towards the E end of the N wall. A blocked-up doorway is evident high up in the N wall facing the round tower (ibid., 23). A slab from a possible 14th-century effigial tomb (CL025-091006-) was formerly attached to the external wall beside the ornate doorway and a 17th-century wall monument (CL025-091007-) commemorating Joan O'Dea is built into the N wall of the chancel. A round tower (CL025-091003-) stands 2m to the NW and the high cross of St Tola (CL025-094----) lies in the field to the E. This church is a national monument in State care, no. 16. (Westropp 1894, 150-59; Ó Murchadha 1992, 53-7)

CL025-091001-_01.jpg The Romanesque doorway in the S wall.
CL025-091001-_02.jpg The S wall showing the location of the doorway. The remains of the round tower (CL025-091003-) can be seen behind the church.
CL025-091001-_03.jpg The S wall from SW with the round tower very close by to the left.
CL025-091001-_04.jpg The N wall of the church from NE and the remains of the round tower.

Compiled by: Mary Tunney

Date of upload: 6 September 2017

References

Ó Murchadha, S. 1992 Diseart Tola and its environs. The Other Clare 16, 53-7.

Westropp, T.J. 1894 Churches with round towers in Northern Clare. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries 24, part 3, 332-40.

Harbison, P. 1970 Guide to the national monuments in the Republic of Ireland. Dublin. Gill and Macmillan.

Large, S. 2011 A church and graveyard survey in County Clare. Database and photographic record. Clare County Council. Clare Heritage Forum. The Heritage Council.

Swinfen, A. 1992 Forgotten stones: Ancient church sites of the Burren and environs. Dublin. Lilliput Press.