Church

The National Monuments Service's description

No surface remains visible of the medieval church dedicated to St. Mary in graveyard (WM002-028001-) in the village of Street. Anglo-Norman Motte and bailey castle (WM002-027----) located 100m to NNW. In 1397 there is a reference to the perpetual vicarage of the parish church of ‘Sraid Maigibreacrai’ (Sraid Maighe Breacraighe / Street) which was vacant because the late John Ofergail [O’Farrell), while holding the said vicarage, obtained canonical possession of the parish church of Tirfoelan, and contrary to the canons, held both livings at the same time for many years’ (Costello 1909, 173). In 1452 this rectory belonged to the ‘abbatial mensa of the Cistercian monastery of St. Mary, Granard’, Co. Longford (Cal. papal letters, 621). In 1615 the church had a thatched roof when it was described as ‘Ecclesia tecta stramine’ (church roof thatch) (Gray 1940 31).
Present 19th century C of I church may be located on site of or incorporate fabric of the medieval parish church. This church building was described by the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage as a, ‘Freestanding Church of Ireland church, (re)built in 1810 and altered c.1880, comprising three-bay hall with attached three-stage tower on square-plan to the west with a raised parapet with English-style crenellations. Probably containing earlier fabric. Single-bay vestibule flanks tower to the south. Pitched (west) and hipped (east) natural slate roof with clay ridge tiles, raised cut limestone verges to southwest and cast-iron rainwater’ (www.buildingsofireland.ie).

Compiled by: Caimin O’Brien

Date of upload: 17 June 2015

References

Cal. papal letters - Calendar of entries in the papal registers relating to Great Britain and Ireland: papal letters, 1198-1484 [etc.] (London, 1893-)

Costello, M. A. 1909, De annatis Hiberniæ : a calendar of the first fruits' fees levied on papal appointments to benefices in Ireland A.D. 1400 to 1535 extracted from the Vatican and other roman archives with copious topographical notes together with summaries of papal rescripts relating to benefices in Ireland and biographical notes of the bishops of Irish sees during the same period. Dundalk. W. Tempest.

Gray, P. 1940 Visitatio Regalis, Ardagh, 1615. Journal of the Ardagh and Clonmacnoise Archaeological Society 2, 29-32.