Church

The National Monuments Service's description

Medieval church ruins in centre of Ludden Graveyard (LI014-064002-). Westropp (1904-5, 441) gives the following details on Ludden Church; 'Luddenbeg (14). A parish. Ath-coinn-Lodain, 1116 (Synod of Rath Breasail). Lodone and Lodyn Church, 1302. Tho. Norreys, R. de Clare, Lord of Any, and others seized cattle, &c, for the army camped near Lodyn to resist the Scots (under the Bruces), 1315 (Plea R., 1317, vol. v., p. 27); Luddenbeg, 1591 ; Ludden Church, down, 1615 b. Luidin (O'Donovan).
Fabric - The east wall, 24 feet [7.3m] wide, with 32 feet [9.75m] of south, and 28 feet [8.53m] of north, wall, 10 feet [3m] by 4 feet [1.2m], stood in 1840 ; the east window had two pointed lights. Fitzgerald mentions rude carvings of the Crucifixion in 1826 (vol. i., p. 289), which had vanished fourteen years later'.
Church ruins described in 1826 as 'the walls of an old abbey. The order of the monks to which it belonged is now unknown. On the S. and N. walls of this church, is a rude figure of our Saviour on the cross in alto relieve, and a little to the S stood the strong Castle of Luddenmore (LI023-006----) situate at the foot of Knockroe' (Fitzgerald and McGregor 1826, 288-9).
In 1840 the Ordnance Survey Letters described the church as following; 'The east gable, and joined to it thirty two feet [9.75m] of the south side wall and twenty eight feet [8.53m] of the north one, yet remain. The west gable and the remainder of the side walls have been razed to the ground. The breadth of the ruin is twenty four feet [7.3m].
On the east gable is a window which retains no peculiar features inside, and on the outside it has two points at top, is nine feet [2.7m] from the ground, four feet [1.2m] high and one and a half feet [0.15m] broad. The divided spaces at top measure seven and a half inches in breadth. The walls are about ten feet [3m] high and four feet [1.2m] thick and are built with large and small stones intermixed and cemented with lime and sand mortar. There is here a large grave yard much in use' (OSL, 102-3).

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 31 October 2018

References

OSL - Ordnance Survey Letters. Letters written by members of the Ordnance Survey's 'Topographical Department' (T. O'Conor, A. O'Curry, E. Curry, J. O'Donovan and P. O'Keeffe) sent to headquarters from the field (1834-41). MSS in Royal Irish Academy.

Westropp, T.J. 1904-5 A survey of the ancient churches of Co. Limerick. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 25C, 327-479.

Fitzgerald, P. and McGregor, J.J. 1826 The history, topography and antiquities of the county and city of Limerick. Dublin.