Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Font
Lynn, County Westmeath, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Lynn
- County
- Westmeath
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Latest-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Coordinates
- 53.49501, -7.36053
- SMR number
- WM026-003003-
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
Font (WM026-106----) now located inside W porch of R. C. church at Gainestown, 2.65km SSE of Lynn Church (WM026-003----) and graveyard (WM026-003001-) where the font originally stood. Moved from Lynn graveyard in 1954 and placed inside the porch of Gainestown Church by Fr. Finian O'Conor. Cogan (1867, 452) recorded in 1867 that a 'fine old font of the church [Lynn] is in the cemetery; the bowl is circular, and measures one foot ten inches (0.56m) in diameter'. Described by Roe (1968, 118-9) as a 'most remarkable creation and one which well may be unique. Square and massive, the vessel is cut from a single stone (dims. H 0.72m x Wth 0.66m), into three stages, each decreasing in width from the top down. To merge with the middle section (Wth 0.55m x H 0.15m) the under part of the top stage (Wth 0.65m x H 0.29m) is carved as a gentle concave curve while instead of being formed as a simple cube, the lowest part (Wth 0.42m x H 0.27m) has its angles shaped to give a convex profile. The basin (diam. 0.56m x D 0.19m; rim T. 0.05m) is flat-bottomed without a drain'.
Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien
Date of upload: 19 January 2018
References
Cogan, Rev. A. 1862-70 In John F. Fowler, Joseph Dollard (eds), The diocese of Meath, ancient and modern, 3 vols. Dublin. Dollard Publishers.
Roe, H.M. 1968 Medieval fonts of Meath. Meath Archaeological and Historical Society.
Nearby in the register
- Churchunder 1 mi
- Graveyardunder 1 mi
- Ecclesiastical enclosureunder 1 mi
- Burial groundunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.