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The National Monuments Service's description

Present St. Columba's C of I parish church is presumed to have replaced earlier medieval parish church (CW008-045006-). A roughly circular granite font with circular basin and central drainage hole (diam. 0.16m) can be seen in the graveyard (CW008-045014-) immediately to the S of the W end of the C of I church. Described in the Urban Survey of County Carlow (Bradley 1989, 69-70) as a 'circular granite font (dims. H 0.56m; ext. diam. 0.85m) with straight sided basin (top diam. 0.55m; base diam. 0.45m; D 0.25m) and a central drainage hole. On the south side of the church beside the entrance path. It is undecorated except for six cracks/grooves which run around the rim (T 0.14-0.26m) down the external face of the font and may be an attempt to make the bowl sexpartite. The rim slopes to the outside'. Described in 1892-4 as following: 'The old font lies in the churchyard, neglected and uncared for; it is of granite and much worn, circular in form, about 14 inches (0.35m) deep inside, and 20 inches (0.5m) over ground; what depth it is below the surface of the ground I am unable to say' (Anon. 1892-4, 446).

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 25 September 2014

References

Bradley, J. and King, H.A. 1990 Urban archaeological survey - county Carlow. Unpublished report commissioned by the Office of Public Works, Dublin.

Anon. 1892-4 County Carlow. Journal of the Association for the Preservation of the Memorials of the Dead in Ireland 2, 420-447.