Church

The National Monuments Service's description

National Monument No. 81. Romanesque nave and chancel church (14m E-W; 6.1m N-S; wall T 0.85m) with dividing chancel arch and contemporary round tower at the intersection of the nave and chancel in the S wall. Only the wall foundations of the nave (int. dims. 3.8m N-S: 8.8m E-W) survive with a reconstructed Romanesque window in the W gable and partial evidence of a Romanesque door with three orders the bases of which are all that survive at the W end of the S wall. The well preserved chancel (int. dims. 2.6m N-S; 2.6m E-W) is built with coursed ashlar blocks in a similar fashion to the adjoining round tower. Small round headed window in the E gable and a decorated piscina in grey marble in the S wall which is very similar to the piscina in the cathedral (OF005-0040001-). The round tower (int. diam. 2.15m ; wall T 0.9m) is six storeys high and is completely intact with conical cap. The tower which is accessed from the chancel had wooden floors with each level lighted by a window on the SE side. The windows consist of small flat headed and recessed round headed windows similar to the reconstructed window at the E wall of the Nuns chapel (OF005-029001-). The chancel arch has three orders and is finely decorated with Romanesque motifs and has a later medieval limestone inner arch. An interesting architectural feature is the squinch in the SE angle of the nave which is carried on an engaged column built to carry the weight of the round tower inside the nave. (O' Donovan 1856-7, 447; Anon 1868-9, 141-7; Monahan 1886, 68; Anon 1907, 335; Westropp 1907; 297; Macalister 1910, 24; O'Flanagan 1933, vol. 1, 66; Molloy 1950, 11; Leask 1966, 147-51, Manning 1994, 30)

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