Church

The National Monuments Service's description

Within the ecclesiastical enclosure (LF021-048001-) on Inchcleraun, just to the E of the centre, and one of four churches in the enclosure, see also ‘Church of the Dead (LF021-048003-) c. 18m to the WNW, Templemore (LF021-048004-) c. 20m to the SE and Templedermot (LF021-48002-) c. 30m to the SSE. A fifth church, known as Lady Church or Temple Muire (LF021-048007-), is located outside the enclosure c. 120m to the SSW and a sixth church ‘Clogas’ (LF021-046---) is 410m to the NW. According to Bigger (1900, 70), it was known as the 'Chancel Church' in the late 19th century. However, Hills (1860, 337) recorded it as 'Middle Church' and noted that it was incorrectly named on the OS 6-inch maps: the name 'Templemurry' should have been assigned to the church (LF021-048007-) outside the enclosure.
This nave and chancel church is constructed of large, roughly coursed, limestone blocks. The nave (ext. dims. 10.25m E-W; 6.75m N-S; int. dims. 8.8m E-W; 5.3m; wall T 0.8m) is wider than the chancel (ext. dims. 4.5m E-W; 5.2m N-S; int. dims. 4.5m E-W). Bigger (1900, 78) suggested that, in the 12th century, the nave was added to an earlier smaller single-cell church, which then became the chancel of the present church. However, there is no clear evidence to suggest that it is of multiperiod construction as the nave is tied into the chancel and the masonry style is uniform between the two parts of the church. Also the windows in both gables match. The doorway, now destroyed, is at the W end of the S wall of the nave. Hills (1860, 337) recorded that the only surviving stone ‘a simple chamfer in sandstone’, indicated that the arch was semicircular in shape. A 19th-century photograph taken prior to repair works carried out by the Board of Works confirms this and indicates it was constructed with chamfered stones of late-medieval appearance – Grose incorrectly depicted the doorway as being pointed (Stalley 1991, 78). A single-light round-headed window in this wall, at the E end, is similar to those in the the gables. The window in the W gable is at first-floor level suggesting the former presence of a priest’s residence or gallery at this end of the church. An opening in the N wall of the nave, directly opposite the S doorway, may be the remains of a second doorway. The chancel arch no longer survives. The single-light round-headed window in the E gable is set in a round-arched window embrasure constructed of ashlar masonry. It is similar in style to the E window of the ‘Clogas’ (LF021-046----) and the ‘Church of the Dead’ (LF021-048003-). Partially destroyed opposing single-light windows are evident in the centre of the N and S walls of the chancel. Fragmentary remains of a stone-built altar survive at the centre of the E gable. Bigger (1990, 79) recorded a possible leacht (LA021-048014-) against the external face of the chancel. Another possible leacht (LF021-048015-) lies c. 7m to the SW of the church. (Moore 2007, No. 13)

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 5 June 2013

This monument is subject to a preservation order made under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014 (PO no. 5/1981).

References

Bigger, F.J. 1900 Inis Chlothrann (Inis Cleraun) Lough Ree: its history and antiquities. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 30, 69-89.

Hills, G. M. 1860 Innisclothran, and other island churches in Ireland. The Ecclesiologist vol. 21, no. CXLI, December, 331-40.

Moore, S. 2007 Archaeological monuments in County Longford. Longford. Longford County Council.

Stalley, R. (ed.) 1991 Daniel Grose (c. 1766–1838). The antiquities of Ireland, a supplement to Francis Grose. Dublin. The Irish Architectural Archive.