Architectural fragment

The National Monuments Service's description

A series of eight carved stone plaques set into the walls of the so-called 'Old Chapel' (SL019-093001-) in the former demesne of Longford House.
1. Set into the exterior wall directly over the doorway is a stone plaque (0.42m H, 0.27m W at top narrowing to 0,22m at base), incorrectly identified by Woodmartin (1882, I, 118) as representing the rising sun. It bears a representation of a cherub head with wings folded underneath. Below this is a stylised bush like image represented by a series of fonds/elongated leaves rising from a central stem, possibly a crude representation of a stalk of wheat, the crest of the Crofton coat-of-arms.
The following seven plaques are set in the interior walls and are described in a clockwise direction beginning with that at the N end of the E wall.
2. E wall: stone (0.38m H, 0.28m narrowing to 0.23.5m) bearing a representation of St David
3. E wall: stone (0.38m H, 0.29m narrowing to 0.23m) bearing a representation of St Paul
4. S wall: stone (0.38m H, 0.29m narrowing to 0.24m) bearing a representation of St Peter
5. S wall: stone (0.38m H, 0.36.5m narrowing to 0.22m) bearing a representation of the crucifixion
6. S wall: stone (0.58m H, Wth 0.37m max dims) carved with a cross with expanded terminals and date '1730' carved in false-relief below it.
7. W wall: stone (0.45m H, 0.30m est. max at top narrowing to 0.27m) bearing a representation of the Virgin and child.
8. W wall: stone (0.36m H x 0.43m Wth) with the following inscription in italic lettering. 'Nam : deus : est : quod : / Imago : docet : sed : non / deus Ipsa: hanc Cernas : / Sed : mente : colas : quod / Cernis : In : Ipsa.
A marble statue of an angel is set in the arched opening in the E wall between the carvings of St David and St Paul; this appears to be modern (20th cent. possibly). Both the size and the similarity in style of the carvings of St. David, St Paul and St Peter suggest that these are the work of the same sculpture: they do not appear to older in date than the 18th and could well be 19th century in date. The various plaques appear to pre-date the mid-19th century as they are referred to in Lady Morgan's novel, “The wild Irish Girl' written at Longford House and published in 1840 (quoted in Wood-Martin 1882, I, 117).

There is a dwelling house (T-plan) to the W and over the doorway in the E wall is a stone, possibly a reused keystone, bearing the crest and motto of the Crofton family, a stalk of wheat above which is inscribed 'DAT DEUS INCREMENTUM'; the carving is all in low relief. The date 1730 (two figures either side of the wheat stalk) is cut below the inscription. The entrance doorway to this house in the W wall is a jumble of earlier work including jambs and other ornamental stonework with two scrolls supporting a lintel above which is a tympanum formed by two curving arch-like pieces. Set into the tympanum is a similar stone to that in the E wall. It bears the Crofton coat of arms (a lion, passant guardant) above which is the helmet and crest (a stalk of wheat) and above that the motto (in upper and lower case letters), all in shallow relief except the inscription which is incised. It is difficult to assign a date to this piece though, on stylistic grounds, it probably dates to the 18th century. The carving is by a different hand to that in the E wall.

Listed in the SMR (1989) (1987) and RMP (1995) (1997) as 'Stone sculpture(s)' (Wood-Martin 1882, I, 116-8; Foras Forbartha report 1973 and 1979).

Compiled by: Paul Walsh

Date of upload: 19 January 2011