Church

The National Monuments Service's description

The following description is derived from both the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Louth' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1986) and the 'Archaeological Survey of County Louth' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1991). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.
Date of upload/revision: 28 June 2012
Revised by: Claire Breen

The medieval remains incorporated into the present St Mary's Church of Ireland building are probably those of a church founded as a parish church at the beginning of the thirteenth century. The present structure consists of a nave, chancel, S aisle and tower. Two religious houses are recorded in Ardee, the Hospital of St John the Baptist (Fratres Cruciferi) established in 1207 and the Carmelite friary from later in the thirteenth century (Bradley 1984a, 285). According to Bradley (1984a, 283-5), the present remains are not on the site of either foundation. Grose (1791, pl. 41) illustrates the building prior to its reconstruction in 1812, and although it is obviously inaccurate in some respects his drawing clearly shows a ruined tower at the W, a vaulted ground floor, and only the upper storeys of the E wall remaining, with windows at the belfry and ringing stages. The nave was gabled and roofed while the north aisle was unroofed, had a doorway with a round-headed arch and three large rectangular window opes. The only obvious medieval remains now are the arcade of four arches which divides the nave from the S aisle, a piscina incorporated in the pier near the altar, and a recess with stairway in the E gable which led to the loft over the rood screen. A portion of the medieval tower probably survives within the modern structure but this is not obvious. E of the present chancel is a very ruined building which may be the remains of the medieval chancel, or at least indicate its original plan.

The doorway to the stairwell in the NE corner of the S aisle, which led to the rood loft, has a single rounded arch stone of punch-dressed limestone, indicating that the rood screen was late medieval in date. The jamb stones are rebated and the arch stones are treated in the same manner, presumably to allow a door to sit into the ope flush with the wall surface.

A rectangular font of limestone (LH101-101010-) at the W end of the nave is decorated at one angle with a biting beast's head and at the other three with a foliate design. Between the decorated angles chisel marks cover the plain surfaces. It is probably late medieval in date. (CLAJ 1943, 200-3; Bradley 1984a, 280-3)