Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Church
Toberaheena (inishlounaght Par.), County Tipperary South, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Toberaheena (inishlounaght Par.)
- County
- Tipperary South
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- St. Stephens Church (in ruins)
- Latest-edition OS map
- St. Stephens Church (in Ruins)
- Coordinates
- 52.35269, -7.71762
- SMR number
- TS083-031----
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 4 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1790 "Composite: Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
On relatively level ground immediately E of St. Stephen's Place and S of the Western Road. The church is situated at the N end of the graveyard (TS083-031001-). The earliest record to St. Stephen's lazar house (TS083-019036----) and attendant church is from the year 1510 (Lee 1966, 12-26). On the 20th of December of that year the Commissioner of the Bishop of Lismore and Waterford decided that the ecclesiastical revenues of St. Stephen's appertained to its rector and not to the Prior of Athassel (Lee 1966, 12-26). A Court Survey held at Clonmel on the 9th of August 1655 described St. Stephen's as 'wholly destroyed onely some part of the wall standing...' (Burke 1907, 244). The present remains consist of a much denuded church (dims. 18m x 9.5m), the ruined, low, side walls (max. H 0.9m; T 0.8m) and gable ends (W gable H 1.5m; E gable H 0.95m) of which are overgrown. At time of inspection the N wall was completely obscured by trees and bushes. According to the OS Letters (1840) there were two windows in the E gable, two in the S wall and one in the W gable (O'Flanagan 1930, vol. 3, 78-9). They also noted that the upper area of the church was most likely used as a dwelling, evidenced by joist holes in the E gable at first-floor level and a chimney surmounting the W gable (ibid.). During the course of the ITA Survey (1942) the church was again recorded and at that time a small niche or aumbry was visible in the SE angle, a lance window in the E gable and a small ope in the S wall. There is no trace of the leper hospital mentioned in 1510. (Farrelly and FitzPatrick 1993, 65).
Compiled by: Jean Farrelly
Date of upload: 26 August 2011
References
Burke, Rev. W. P. 1907 History of Clonmel. The Clonmel Library Committee.
O'Flanagan, Rev. M. (Compiler) 1930 Letters containing information relative to the antiquities of the county of Tipperary collected during the progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1840. Bray.
Farrelly, J. and FitzPatrick, E. 1993 Urban archaeological survey - county Tipperary (South Riding) (2 vols.). Unpublished report commissioned by the Office of Public Works, Dublin.
Lee, G.A. 1966 The leper hospitals of Munster. North Munster Antiquarian Journal 10, 12-26.
Nearby in the register
- Graveyardunder 1 mi
- Ritual site - holy wellunder 1 mi
- Churchunder 1 mi
- Graveslabunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.