Church

The National Monuments Service's description

Monastery founded here in the 6th century by Colmán Eala who died in 611 (Ó Riain 2011, 203; Gwynn and Hadcock 1988, 41). St. Colmán Eala was listed as the most important saint by the Ceinéal Fiachach tribe, from whom the O’Molloy clan, lords of Fercall, are descended from (Ó Riain 2011, 205). In the 15th century Lynally became the parochial church of the newly created parish of Fercall. In 1421 the papal mandate for the creation of a new parish of Fercall was confirmed when a papal letter was sent to the prior of St Mary’s at Durrow monastery. It established the separation ‘from St. David’s [of Ardnurcher] all the said chapels, to erect that of St. Colman [Lynally] into a parish church, to subject thereto the others as daughter chapels, notwithstanding that they had cure, to assign to it the said country as its parish, and to grant that St. Colman’s, even if it or any other of the said chapels were of lay patronage, might have font, cemetery and other parochial insignia’ (Cal. papal letters, 174). In 1639 the large parish of Fercall was dissolved and the smaller parish of Lynally was created (Ellison 1975, 5). Bishop Dopping’s Visitation book of 1682-85 recorded that the church as dedicated to St. Colman, Neal Carolan was the vicar, William Sheile was the parish priest and that all the chapels were waste since 1641 except Lynally and Ballyboy (Ellison 1975, 6). It was recorded that the church of Lynally was also known as Dulleanally. Bishop Dopping recorded that the church was in good repair and possessed a small chancel. The church contained a desk, a pulpit, no font, the communion table was railed in, the windows were glazed, the floor was of clay, the roof was shingled and the churchyard was enclosed by a stone wall’ (Ellison 1975, 7). In 1696 the shingled roof of Rahan Church (OF016-015001-) was removed and used to roof the church at Lynally (ibid.).
Present remains consist of a multiperiod church originally of pre-Romanesque date with later 15th and 17th-century additions, graveyard (OF016-031002-) and possible early Christian enclosure (OF016-031007-) which survives as a crop mark with motte (OF016-032001-) to the S. A holy well (OF016-031008-) located to the SW of the church was filled in several years ago. There are several blocked up windows on the N wall and two 17th-century armorial plaques (OF016-031006/009-) on the W wall. There is a pointed narrow blocked up door at E end of S wall which connected the transept to the church. Late medieval graveslab (OF016-031005-) with floriated cross with switchline traceried head carved in relief located to the SW of the church. Rectangular shaped graveyard enclosed by a stone wall with round arched gateway built with large blocks of punch dressed ashlar at centre of W wall. Early Christian cross-slabs (OF016-031004-/0310012-) now in the National Museum were discovered in a mound in the field immediately to the S of the motte.
Church described in 1942 as following; ‘Church walls preserved to nearly full height, sides c. 12’ [3.65m], much ivy-clad. They are built of large rough limestone blocks and were plastered. On W. were antae 14” [0.35m] long with rough ashlar quoins, partly gone, and a door (frame entirely gone). Just inside W. end 2 underground vaults; of N. one there remains the covering slab and a framed heraldic slab on W (name buried) and another on S. almost entirely removed; probably about same dates as the N. one. Narrow windows in N and S walls, rough int. jamb, ext. jambs and arch gone. On N.E. a break suggesting a window but ivy-clad. On S.E., 35’ [10.66m] from int. W end, a break with rough ashlar quoins, almost certainly the corner of a transept of which wall is gone. Clumsily built against it a small pointed window with masonry arch. The present E. wall bonds with neither N nor S, and contains a pointed brick arch. The walls continue beyond it, though there is no sign of original E wall; at E end of S wall the E wall of transept branches out, no break visible in S wall. Length of transept to outer face of S. wall 26’10” [8.17m]. Beneath it a barrel-vault, S. wall broken down, rect. door on W. slit window of ashlar on E. I am not certain if N. wall is an insertion to block the vault, as it seems also on side-walls the sockets of timber struts rising at about 80 degrees. Remains of larger window in E. wall of transept. Church int. width 16’9” [5.1m] present length int. 40’3” [12.26m] – 18’ [5.48m] extension of S. wall (N. wall breaks off a little short of this)’ (ITA Survey SMR file). (O' Flanagan 1933, vol. 1, 32; Moran 1962, 45; Dunlevy-Reynolds & Haworth 1975, 59; Loeber 1981, 290)

OF016-031001-_09.jpg Plan of church taken from Medieval Churches of County Offaly.

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.

Compiled and revised by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of revised upload: 8 June 2015

References

Ellison, C. C. 1975 Bishop Dopping's Visitation Book 1682-1685. Ríocht na Midhe 6, 3-12.

Ó Riain, P. 2011 A dictionary of Irish Saints. Dublin. Four Courts Press.

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.

FitzPatrick, E. and O'Brien, C. 1998 The medieval churches of County Offaly. Dublin. Dúchas The Heritage Service.

Cal. papal letters - Calendar of entries in the papal registers relating to Great Britain and Ireland: papal letters, 1198-1484 [etc.] (London, 1893-)

Gwynn, A. and Hadcock, R.N. 1970 (Reprint 1988) Medieval religious houses of Ireland. Dublin. Irish Academic Press.

Loeber, R. 1981 Sculptured memorials to the dead in the early seventeenth century Ireland: a survey from Monumenta Eblanae and other sources. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 81C 11, 267-93.

Moran, W. 1962 Tullamore. Ríocht na Midhe 2, 45-54.

Dunlevy-Reynolds, M. & Haworth, R. 1975 A preliminary report on monuments of archaeological interest in County Offaly. An Foras Fobartha Report.