Church

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on a knoll on a S facing slope in the valley of a small SE-NW stream which is c. 30m to the S and which joins the River Dee c. 1.5km to the NW. The parish church of Siddan, dedicated to SS Mary and David, was granted to St. Mary’s Cistercian abbey in Dublin c. 1200 (Bradley and King 1985, 129, 130), and it was still amongst its possessions at the Dissolution in 1540 (White 1943, 30). The names of some of the clergy are known (Cogan 1862-70, 2, 340). Ussher (1622) describes the church and chancel as ruins (Erlington 1847-64, 1, xcvi). According to Dopping’s Visitation (1682-5) the church was in ruins since 1641 and was not enclosed (Ellison 1973, 5). According to Lewis (1837, 2, 594) a church had been built in 1753.
The site of the medieval parish church is within a rectangular graveyard (max. dims c. 87m N-S; c. 50m E-W) defined by masonry walls where the present St. David’s Church of Ireland church that was built in 1881 stands, but the precise location of the earliest church structure is not known. In the graveyard is a cross-slab (Wth 0.5m; H 1.1m) with a latin cross (Wth 0.45m; H 0.46m) in relief (Wth 7cm) on one face. The font from Drumcondrath (ME006-012003-) is now outside the present church. The sandstone font is rectangular (ext. dims 0.58m x 0.58m; H 0.46m) with chamfered corners (Wth 0.12m) and under-panels, and a circular, flat-bottomed basin (diam. 0.47m; D 0.27m). There are holes on the rim for a cover. (Roe 1968, 114)

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Meath' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1987). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of revision: 12 December, 2014

References

Erlington, C. R. (ed.) 1847-64 The whole works of the most Reverend James Ussher. 17 vols. Hodges and Smith, Dublin

Cogan, Rev. A. 1862-70 Ecclesiastical history of the diocese of Meath: ancient and modern. (3 vols) Dublin: John Fowler, Joseph Dollard

Ellison, Rev. C. C. 1971-5 Bishop Dopping's Visitation Book 1682-5, Ríocht na Mídhe, 5, 1, 28-39; 5, 2, 3-13; 5, 3, 3-11; 5, 4, 98-103; 6, 1, 3-13.

White, N.B. 1943 Extents of Irish monastic possessions, 1540-1541. Dublin. Irish Manuscripts Commission.

Bradley, J. and King, H.A. 1985 Urban archaeological survey - county Meath. Unpublished report commissioned by the Office of Public Works, Dublin.

Lewis, S. 1837 A topographical dictionary of Ireland, 2 vols. London. Lewis and Co.

Roe, H.M. 1968 Medieval fonts of Meath. Meath Archaeological and Historical Society.