Cathedral

The National Monuments Service's description

National Monument No. 81. Rectangular church (ext. dims. 22m E-W; 10.9m N-S; wall T 0.9m) built with roughly coursed rubble with four distinct building phases evident. The earliest 10th/11th-century phase (int. dims. N-S 10.9m; E-W 19m) is indicated by the presence of Antae at both ends of the church (Clapham 1939, 17). The next phase appears in the 13th-century with the insertion of the W doorway (Manning 1994, 25) with four orders and the sacristy or chapter house (ext. dims. 6.45m N-S; 6.8m E-W) which was added to the E end of the S wall. The sacristy/chapter house which is marked as 'Black Cell' on Balymires map 1738 is lit by two single light round headed windows set in widely splayed embrasures. The doorway from the sacristy/chapter house to the church has a pointed arch with concave hood moulding above with diagonal stone tooled jambs indicating early medieval date. The hood moulding is similar to the hood moulding which survives over the door in the nearby Temple Ri (OF005-007001-) which is also dated to the early 13th-century (Leask 1966, vol. 2, 59). In the late 13th/14th-century the S wall was moved Northwards (pers. comm. Manning) with the insertion of a single light gothic style lancet the rear arch of which still survives at the E end of the S wall. The sacristy/chapter house was extended northwards with the insertion of the double sedilia in the S wall. The fourth and final phase was in the mid 15th-century when a simple twin light Y tracery window was inserted into the S wall at the E end replacing the lancet light. During this phase the rib vaulting carried on columns two bays deep three bays wide was inserted at the E end of the church along with the insertion of the N doorway. The pointed limestone door at the W end of the N wall known as Dean Odo's door is in the perpendicular gothic style and is finely decorated with dragons, angels and ogee headed panels. There are three saints carved over the door representing St. Dominick, St Patrick and St. Francis. The sacristy/chapter house had a second floor (int. dims. 5.1m E-W; 5.7m N-S; wall T 0.9m) inserted over the ground floor possibly in the 15th-century with fireplace and octagonal chimney stack with funnel shaped cap. At the W end there are several architectural fragments. Aumbry and piscina at E end of S wall both display evidence of diagonal stone tooling indicating an early medieval date for their construction. Possible bullaun stone known locally as the wart stone located outside the N wall at the E end. (O' Donovan 1856-7, 447; Monahan 1886, 64-5; Westropp 1907, 282-6; Mac Alister 1910, 24; Kahn 1913; O'Flanagan 1933, vol. 1, 61-2; Molloy 1950, 6-7; Harbison 1972, 204)

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Offaly' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload: 23 May 2011