Church

The National Monuments Service's description

National Monument No. 126. The earliest church building in the town of Roscrea is the twelfth-century church dedicated to St Cronán located directly opposite the round tower (TN012-010005-) and adjacent to the twelfth-century high cross (TN012-010006-). The Royal Visitation of 1615 described the building as a 'church and chancell downe' (Murphy 1914, 222). The church was in good repair and used for service until 1812 when it was largely demolished with only the W gable (ext. dims. 33ft (10m) N-S) and a short section of the nave surviving (Gleeson 1915, vol. 2, 370; Harbison 1970, 235). The highly decorated W gable consists of a central round-arched triple-ordered decorated doorway flanked on either side by two round-arched blind arcades. Over the doorway there is a triangular-shaped pediment containing a full-length figure with a rosette on either side. There appears to have been several more rosettes but unfortunately due to decay these have disappeared (Harbison 1970, 235). Triangular-shaped pediments decorated with chevron decoration exist over the blind arcades. Moulded antae project from the gable. At a later stage a bellcote was constructed on the apex of the gable.

The above description is derived from 'The Archaeological Inventory of County Tipperary. Vol. 1 - North Tipperary' compiled by Jean Farrelly and Caimin O'Brien (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2002). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload/revision: 22 September 2008

References

Harbison, P. 1970 Guide to the national monuments in the Republic of Ireland. Dublin. Gill and Macmillan.

Murphy, A.M. and Ormond, W. 1914 The Royal Visitation, 1615, Diocese of Killaloe. Archivium Hibernicum 3, 210-25.

Gleeson, Rev. J. 1915 (Reprint 1982, 2 vols. with intro. and biblio. by George Cunningham) History of the Ely O'Carroll territory or Ancient Ormond. Kilkenny. Roberts Books.