Church

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on the low-lying flood plains of the river Shannon in undulating countryside. Nuns Chapel which consists of a small divided nave and chancel church (ext. dims. Nave 12.89m E-W; 7.82m N-S; wall T 0.9m; Chancel 5.35m by 5.2m) built with roughly coursed limestone blocks. The church was reconstructed in 1865 from the grass covered rubble which lay scattered over the surface of the graveyard. The Chancel arch , W doorway and partial round headed window are the only features which were reconstructed. The chancel arch consists of a triple ordered round headed arch with hood moulding over with animal headed terminals. The Romanesque decorative features consist of chevrons, beading and animal masks etc. The W doorway is a tripled ordered doorway with hood moulding over with animal headed terminals. Decorative features include chevrons, animal masks and foliage. Founded by Dervorgilla in 1167 (Brady 1960, 4-7). Church is situated in centre of large square shaped enclosure defined by a dry stone wall constructed in places with large cyclopean masonry with arch of nunnery (10m N-S; 7.5m E-W) located to the S and incorporated into the wall of the enclosure with possible medieval buildings attached to the S and N end of E wall of enclosure (pers. comm. King). The wall footings of another building are located to the NW of the Nun's chapel. (Cooke 1875 374-8; Monahan 1886, 53; Anon 1907, 336-7; Westropp 1907; 300-5; Macalister 1910, 26-7; O'Flanagan 1933, vol. 1, 67-8; Molloy 1950, 12; Brady 1960, 4-7; Hadcock 1964, 126; Langan Vol. 1, 76; Stalley 1971, 1-3; Weir 1980, 57-61; Manning 1994, 33)

See attached screenshot of 3D model of the Nuns Church created by Digital Heritage Age under the direction of Gary Dempsey and Orla Peach Power. Photogrammetric 3D model can be accessed at the following website: https://skfb.ly/6szLC

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

References

Manning, C. 1994 Clonmacnoise. Dublin. Stationery Office.

Langan, T. Rev. 1928 Archdeacon Clonmacnoise. Ardagh and Clonmacnoise Antiquarian Journal 1 (1), 71-85.

Monahan, Rev. J. 1886 Records relating to the dioceses of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise. Dublin. M.H. Gill and Son.

Molloy, B. 1950 Guide to the ruins of Clonmacnoise.

Hadcock, N. 1964 The origin of the Augustinian Order in Meath. Ríocht na Mídhe 3, 124-31.

Cooke, T.L. 1875 The early history of the town of Birr. Dublin. Robertson.

Brady, Rev. J. 1960 The Nunnery of Clonard' Ríocht na Midhe 2, No. 2, 4-7.

O'Flanagan, Rev. M. (Compiler) 1933 Letters containing information relative to the antiquities of the King's County collected during the progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1839. Bray.

Stalley, R.A. 1971 Architecture and sculpture in Ireland 1150-1350. Dublin. Gill and Macmillan.

Weir, A. 1980 Exhibitionists and related carvings in the Irish midlands: their origins and functions. In H. Murtagh (ed.), Irish midland studies: essays in commemoration of N.W. English, 57-72. Old Athlone Society.