Church

The National Monuments Service's description

On a natural rise in rolling terrain, with the river Suir c. 100m to the N, Newcastle tower house (TS088-032002-) and bawn (TS088-032003-) is visible c. 100m to the NNW. According to local tradition, the church was burnt by a Prendergast who lived in Curraghcloney Castle (TS091-003----) and afterwards built Newcastle tower house (O'Flanagan 1930, vol. 1, 23). The undivided church (ext. dims. 10.2m N-S; 29m E-W; N wall H 3.85m; T 0.98m) is built mainly of limestone rubble, with some sandstone, roughly coursed, though all the architectural features are in sandstone. A late 12th/13th century church with later modifications. There is a break in masonry halfway along the length of the church on the S wall, with buttresses supporting this wall. There are two opposing pointed doorways towards the W end of the N and S wall. Both doorways have moulded surrounds, though the 13th century N doorway (Wth 1.4m; H 2.1m), with roll and fillet-mouldings, is narrower and higher than the slightly earlier S doorway (Wth 1.43m; H 1.7m) which has simpler roll-mouldings. The W gable (H c. 7m) has a large blocked-up window embrasure and above this, at first-floor level, there is a long narrow ope within a splayed embrasure. The gable is dotted with put-logs which run through the complete thickness of the wall. The N wall has two windows, that at the W end is a pointed single-light with jambs which are rebated and chamfered externally, while of the window near the E gable only two jambs survive, chamfered internally and externally. The two windows in the S wall have unusual heads which appear to be re-used architectural fragments. That at the E end has roll-moulded jambs while the other, E of centre, has plain jambs with a flat ogee-head with hood-moulding. Between these two windows, the internal face of the church has been rendered with cement and a modern, black marble, wall-plaque mounted. The E gable (T 1.05m) has largely collapsed and only the S splay of the window embrasure survives.

Compiled by: Jean Farrelly

Date of upload: 26 August 2011

References

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.