Cathedral

The National Monuments Service's description

The cathedral is the largest and most imposing structure at Glendalough and is situated in the SE sector of the main enclosure (WI023-008005-) on a small plateau overlooking the junction of the Glendasan and Glenealo rivers. It was dedicated to SS Peter and Paul (Price 1945, 46-7) and ceased to function as a cathedral when the diocese of Glendalough was united with Dublin in 1214. It consists of a multi-period nave and chancel church with a sacristy at the S. The earliest phase is evident in the cyclopean masonry in the nave walls while later rebuilding took place in the tenth century with the chancel added towards the end of the twelfth century. Some reconstruction took place in the 1870s. While the stone used is mainly mica schist some Dundry stone is employed for the later decorative features. The nave (dims. 14.88m x 9.3m) has antae at both E and W. The W door has inclined jambs, simple flat architraves and a round relieving arch above the lintel. There are two windows in the S wall, a N door, and a chancel arch of granite decorated with chevrons. The chancel, of inferior masonry and not quite in line with the nave, has two windows in the N wall and one in the S wall with a piscina and aumbry below. There is a tall, decorated, round-arched window and an external string course on the E gable. A door in the S wall of the chancel leads to the sacristy (dims. 4.87m x 3.2m). There are five cross-slabs against the inner N wall of the chancel; three of these are illustrated and described by Leask (1950, 43; fig. 11 a-c). One bears two inscriptions 'OR DO MACCOIS' and 'OR DO DIARMUIT' while a second was earlier noted to read 'OR DO MUIRCHERTACH U CHATALA(N) OCUS DO GUTNODAR aw. i. THIGERNA U FAG ...'. Muirchertach Ua Cathalan was a notable person slain at the battle of Moin-mor in 1151. Healy (1972, 6) cites some 76 undecorated slabs as well as several crosses, cross-slabs and cross-bases around the cathedral. One slab to the N bears the inscription 'OR DO MURH...' which may be a slab Petrie previously recorded as 'MUREDACH'. There is a tub-shaped cross-base or font with rectangular basin inside the W door. A 'holy' tree, 'St. Kevin's Yew Tree (site of)', is marked on the 6-inch map to the W of the cathedral but it is otherwise undocumented. (OS Name Books; Macalister 1943, 67-9; Leask 1950, 26-30; Healy 1972)

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Wicklow' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload: 19 December 2012

See linked document with plan taken from Robert Cochrane Historical and Descriptive Notes with Ground Plans, Elevations, Sections and Details of the Ecclesiastical Remains at Glendalough, Co. Wicklow. Extract from the Eightieth Annual Report of the Commissioners of Public Works in Ireland 1911-12. Dublin, 1925.

References

Healy, P. 1972 Supplementary survey of ancient monuments at Glendalough, Co. Wicklow. Unpublished OPW report.

Leask, H.G. 1950 Glendalough, Co. Wicklow: national monuments vested in the Commissioners of Public Works. Dublin. Stationery Office.

Price, L. 1945 The place-names of Co. Wicklow. I - The barony of Ballinacor North. The Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies (1-54).