Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Church
Rathbeagh, County Kilkenny, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Rathbeagh
- County
- Kilkenny
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Church
- Latest-edition OS map
- Church & Castle (in Ruins)
- Coordinates
- 52.75470, -7.34693
- SMR number
- KK009-048001-
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
4 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1790 map "Composite: Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
Historical maps covering this location
- 1790 · Composite: Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1811 · Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1869 · Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1891 · Ireland 16 (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
On E side of a graveyard (KK009-048003-), on the brow of a gentle E-facing slope, commanding a fine view from NNW-E-SE. According to Carrigan (1905, vol. 2, 323-5) this parish church, 'dedicated to St. Catherine, Virgin and Martyr, (Nov. 25th), was thrown down about 1700, and a Protestant church erected, at the same time, on its foundations'. The residential tower (KK009-048002-) or 'ancient presbytery' as Carrigan (ibid.) refers to it, was attached to the W end of the medieval church and was retained, as was the E gable of the medieval church. The residential tower was accessed via a doorway at ground-floor level at the S end of the E wall of the tower. The late 17th/18th-century undivided church (int. dims. 10.5m x 6.5m) utilized the existing E wall of the earlier church and the E wall of the residential tower. The side walls, constructed of roughly coursed limestone rubble, formerly rendered externally with plaster, are set back slightly from the former line of the N and S walls of the earlier church. It is entered via a rough uncut doorway (H 1.6m; Wth 1.32m) at the W end of S wall. A large round-headed window, the head of which is composed of wedge-shaped voussoirs, dominates the E gable. Internally, both the side walls (T 0.7m) have applied arcades (S arcade L 7.55m; H 3.1m; T 0.75m) which form deep, straight-sided embrasures (H 2.3m; Wth 1.7m) around both the doorway and windows of the S wall, and the windows in corresponding positions in the N wall. The N arcade (L 5.85m) contains two round-headed windows which have been blocked up. A series of joist-holes just above the line of the arcades in the N and S walls, and the E gable, suggest that there was a floor above. The church has undergone numerous repairs by the local landlord throughout the 19th century. Within the graveyard there are panels from a 17th-century chest tomb (KK009-048006-) and graveslab (KK009-048004-) dated c. 1600.
Compiled by: Jean Farrelly
Date of upload: 6 February 2018
References
Carrigan, Rev. W. 1905 (Reprint 1981) The history and antiquities of the diocese of Ossory, 4 vols. Kilkenny. Roberts Books and Wellbrook Press.
Nearby in the register
- Tomb - chest tombunder 1 mi
- Castle - tower houseunder 1 mi
- Graveyardunder 1 mi
- Graveslabunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.