Church

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on hilltop. Reference to an old church in ruins and a possible round tower (LA003-016001-) (O'Hanlon and O'Leary 1907, vol. 1, 309-10), no traces of which survive; probably located within enclosure. The tower which was pulled down before 1838 was described as a narrow steeple of rough masonry only one third as high as Timahoe. The nineteenth century church of Ireland church located in the village of Rosenallis near the site of the old medieval church which was reputedly located in the associated graveyard (LA003-016009-) of the Protestant church. This medieval church was possibly dedicated to St Brigid of Kildare (O'Flanagan 1933, 69; O'Hanlon 1981, 309) although it has been recorded that the medieval church ruins were dedicated to the Virgin Mary (O'Hanlon 1981, 309; Mason 1819, vol. 3, 319). In 1302 Oregan or Rosenallis was handed over to the Knights Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem a nursing order of men in Kilmainham, Dublin. In 1547-1553 a 21 year lease of the 'Rectories and tithes of Oregan alias Rossenallis in O'Doyne's Country, a parcel of the possessions of the late Hospital of St. John opf Jerusalem in Ireland to Vaughan, William and Greffyth ap David, yeomen' (Crossdaile 1959, 2). In 1629 the Bishop of Kildare, Dr. Ross McGeoghan listed Rosenallis as a parochial church dedicated to St. Brigid which he described as "Ecclesia San Brigidae de Rosenallis"' (Crossdaile 1959, 2). The site of the church was located in the graveyard and was located near the present Protestant church. The foundations of this church were 'exposed in opening a grave' in the mid 1900s (Crossdaile 1959, 1). During a graveyard clean-up scheme in 1991, a Sheela-na-gig (LA003-016008-), cross-slab (LA003-016006-) and fragments of medieval dressed stone were uncovered. The fine small cross-inscribed slab and the small worn sheela-na-gig were taken into custody by the National Museum of Ireland (O'Flanagan 1933, 69; O'Hanlon and O'Leary 1907, vol. 1, 60, 309-10). Holy well (LA003-016004-) lies to SW. A fragment of a medieval traceried sandstone window similar to the E window of Kilmanman church lies up against graveyard wall to the E of the C of I church. This window fragment is all that survives of the medieval church of Rosenallis.

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Laois' (Dublin Stationery Office, 1995) compiled by P. David Sweetman, Olive Alcock and Bernie Moran. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload/ revision: 01 March 2010
Compiled by Caimin O'Brien