Font (present location)

The National Monuments Service's description

This was listed in the SMR (1989) as 'Font (original location)' under the number SL039-132004-. This monument is located in the R. C. Church in Ballymote and was believed locally to have come from Battlefield church and graveyard (SL039-132001 and SL039-132002-). However, in Feb. 2004 Martin Timoney informed the Archaeological Survey unit, UCC, that the font was brought to the church in Ballymote in 1948 by James. P. McGarry from Battlefield House and not from Battlefield church. Its original location is not known and it has been assigned a record number (SL033-115001-) at its present location in Ballymote.

The font is a sub-cubical sandstone block (L 0.35m; Wth 0.3m; H 0.28m) into which a round-bottomed sub-cylindrical bowl (diam. 0.2m; D 0.19m) has been cut, leaving walls 0.04m thick. In section the block is subcircular at the top, octagonal midway down and square at the base. There are bulbous projections at the bottom of the four smaller chamfered faces. The broken off section at the top has been repaired with cement. It was at one time stored on the lawn in fornt of the church at Ballymote but was moved inside into the boiler house.

Compiled by: Archaeological Survey Unit, University College Cork.

Date of upload: 15 May 2009