Church

The National Monuments Service's description

St. Mary's Church, known as Howth Abbey is a National Monument (No. 36). It is sited on the side of north facing hill with extensive views of Howth harbour and Ireland's Eye. The original church on the site was founded by Sitric, King of Dublin c.1042. It comprises an impressive double-aisled church of largely 14th century date with later alterations. Built of coursed masonry. The aisles vary in length (N aisle L 20.7m; dims. S aisle L 23m) and are almost of equal width (Wth c. 6m). They are divided by an arcade of pointed arches. Both aisles originally gabled, were merged to form one roof in the 16th-century. The southern aisles appears bowed.

The western gable was widened to carry stairs to a triple bellcote. An external recess with a high-semi-circular arched opening was also added to the W gable. A porch in the southern wall allows access to the S aisle through a pointed sandstone doorway and a round-headed doorway of dressed limestone in the interior. Both doors in N aisle have plain pointed head s and are of uncertain date. N aisle is lit by a double-light tracery W window with sandstone jambs, and a triple light E window with semi-elliptical flattened heads of dressed limestone. S aisle is lit by double-light with flattened arches in the W and a triple light with cusped ogee and trefoil heads in the E. There is a stoup in the S wall which is contained in a trefoil-headed niche in the S wall (Cochrane 1896, 1-21; Ball 1917 29-47, 87-111; Leask 1960, 3, 34-37). The church also contains a piscina with a trefoil-head and another further west. In the southwest corner of the south aisle is the chantry chapel which contains the tomb of Christopher St Lawrence and his wife Anna Plunkett (DU015-029003-).

Compiled by: Geraldine Stout

Updated by: Christine Baker

Date of upload: 26 January 2015

References

Leask, H.G. 1960 (Reprint 1967 and 1990) Irish churches and monastic buildings, vol. II. Gothic architecture to A.D. 1400. Dundalk. Dundalgan Press.

Leask, H.G. 1960 (Reprint 1971, 1978 and 1985) Irish churches and monastic buildings, vol. III. Medieval gothic the last phases. Dundalk. Dundalgan Press.

Cochrane, R. 1896 Notes on the ecclesiastical antiquities in the parish of Howth, County of Dublin. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 26, 1-21.