Church

The National Monuments Service's description

Located in the grounds of Malahide Castle (DU012-030----). The church contains a nave (int. dims. L 16.9m, Wth 6.8m) and chancel (int. dims. L 8.8m, Wth 5.6m) with a sacristy attached to southeastern corner. There are stepped battlements on the side walls of the nave. Built of coursed, well mortared limestone masonry. There are buttresses against the west gable either side of the window and a batter or buttress in the southwest corner. The church is entered towards the west end of the nave through opposed doorways with pointed arches, chamfered jambs and a hood moulding. Apex on the exterior of the south door contains a 'mitred head' and a zoomorphic figure on the moulding stop. In the interior there is a red sandstone stoup (DU012-031004-) secured to south wall. There are fine triple light, ogee-headed W window of 15th-century date and two double-light tracery windows in the east end.
Above the west gable is a triple bellcote with steps leading up to it. The chancel is entered through a pointed, segmental chancel arch. (Int. dims. L 8.80m, W 5.60m). Interior is lit by wide, flat-arched windows in the south wall. The east window is a large, limestone, triple-light, tracery window. Corbels project from the east wall at altar level. The sacristy is entered off the chancel by stepping down into a vaulted ground floor with wall presses. There is an external stairs to first floor which contains a fireplace and wall presses in the in the east wall. At the exterior east gable wall there is a sheela-na gig (DU012-031003-). Another sheela na-gig (DU012-031002-) is built into quoin at the northeast angle of the chancel of the medieval church (Healy 1975, 26; Anon 1914, 257; Hartnett 1954, 179, 181)
The interior of the church has been used for burial and contains an altar tomb dedicated to Maud Plunkett (d. 1494) with a recumbent effigy of a female figure in a horned cap (DU012-031005-). There is a 19th century box tomb at the east end of the chancel. In 2010 the tree and vegetation growth which dominated the south of the church was removed opening up the entire southern facade of the church.

Compiled by: Geraldine Stout

Updated by: Christine Baker

Date of upload: 16 January 2015

References

Anon. 1914c North County Dublin. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 44, 250-68.

Hartnett, P.J. 1954a Malahide "Abbey", Co. Dublin. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 84, 179, 181.

Healy, P. 1975b Third report on monuments and sites of archaeological interest in county Dublin. An Foras Forbartha, Dublin.