Religious house - Augustinian canons

The National Monuments Service's description

The remains of a church and traces of other structures are located at the S end of St. Patrick's Island. They were built on ground that had been artificially levelled (Ryan, Mooney, Prendergast & Masterson 2004, 106-124). This early monastery is associated with St. Mochonna (Doconna, or Conna), venerated on the 13th of January. The Danes are recorded to have burned the monastery in 798 when the shrine of Dochonna was broken (D'Alton, 1976 223). In 1120 a priory of Canons Regular of St. Augustine was established on Inispatrick (Scantlebury 1960, 126-127). According to Gwynn and Hadcock (1970, 178) the 'convent of St. Patrick's Island was moved to a more commodious place, Holm Patric (on the mainland, Co. Dublin) [DU005-031----], in 1220 by Henry of London, abp. [archbishop] of Dublin. The old name was retained, at any rate for a time'.

The church comprises a nave and chancel with a chancel arch. The chancel (L 6m) has a stone-roof supported on a groin vault. The nave (L 14.3m) was slated, or shingle roofed. There were two round-headed windows in the E wall of the chancel, one in its N and S walls and one in the N wall of the nave. There is a small niche in the S wall of the chancel. The E wall has a small window high up in the gable formerly entered in the S. The stones of the N window arch and of the roof were of calcareous tufa. The church is built from the carboniferous limestone of the island with the exception of the tufa ornamentation. At a later stage in its history the nave of the church was divided into two by a rough wall constructed to convert the W end into a shelter. To the S of the church are the foundations of a narrow rectangular structure (L 15m) (DU005-019001-).

Cross-reference with DU005-031----

This monument is subject to a preservation order made under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014 (PO no. 1/1966).

Compiled by: Geraldine Stout

Revised by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of revised upload: 13 March 2023

References

Scantlebury, Rev. C.S. 1960 A tale of two islands (Dalkey Island and Inis Padraig). Dublin Historical Record, Vol 15, 122-8.

Ryan, M., Mooney, K., Prendergast, F and Masterson, B. 2004 Church Island: a description. In Ailbhe Mac Shamhráin (ed.), The Island of St Patrick: Church and ruling dynasties in Fingal and Meath 400-1148, 106-24.

Gwynn, A. and Hadcock, R.N. 1970 (Reprint 1988) Medieval religious houses of Ireland. Dublin. Irish Academic Press.

D'Alton, J. 1838 (Reprint 1976) The history of the county of Dublin. Cork. Tower Books.