Church

The National Monuments Service's description

Located at the crest of a S and E-facing slope overlooking the Diamond of Clones, which is to the SE and the site of St Tigearnach’s monastery (MO011-010001-) c. 300m to the S. A church at Clones, which seems to be separate from the monastery, is listed in the ecclesiastical taxation (1302-06) of Pope Nicholas (Cal. doc. Ire, 5, 212), and the names of some of the clergy are known from 1365 to 1505 (McKenna 1920, 55-63; Leslie 1929, 140-1). It is probable that the medieval parish church was located where St Tigernach’s Church of Ireland church is today, and that the notorious and well-attested massacre of eighteen Scots settlers by hanging, which occurred in December, 1641 (Schlegel 1997, 86), was perpetrated in the associated graveyard (MO011-010011-). After the disturbances of 1689 the vestry books describe the roof, glass and seats as destroyed, and the church was described as unfit for use after a storm in 1698 (Shirley 1879, 325-6).
The church may have been rebuilt around this time as the vestry books record that an attempt to have the parish centre moved away from Clones in 1715 was rebuffed when the church at Clones ‘already built’ was considered sufficient (ibid.). This church had a tower at the W end as depicted in a drawing of 1741. The present structure with a tower at the E overlooking the Diamond was built in 1822 (Lewis 1837, 1, 360) and extended in 1857-8 with the addition of short transepts when it served for a period as the Cathedral of Clogher. The headstone inscriptions have been recorded and date from 1730, but a stone (Wth 0.4m; H 0.28) with the date 1696 carved in relief that is now built into the graveyard wall may indicate the date of the building of this church.

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 14 April 2011

References

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

Shirley, E.P. 1879 (Reprint 1988) The history of the county of Monaghan. London. Pickering.

Cal. doc. Ire. - Calendar of documents relating to Ireland 1171-1307, ed. H.S. Sweetman (5 vols., London, 1875-86).

Schlegel, D. H. 1997 A Clones chronology: October 1641 to July 1642, Clogher Record, vol. 21, No. 1, 79-93.

McMahon, T., Slowley, S. and O'Neill, M. 1983 Inscriptions from St Tigernach's Church of Ireland graveyard, Clones. Clogher Record, vol. 13, No. 1, 90-115.