Font (present location)

The National Monuments Service's description

Font (WM026-003003-) 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'. The R. C. Church at Gainestown was reputedly built with stones taken from Catherinestown Castle (WM026-124----) in 1853.

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 19 January 2018

References

Roe, H.M. 1968 Medieval fonts of Meath. Meath Archaeological and Historical Society.

Cogan, Rev. A. 1862-70 In John F. Fowler, Joseph Dollard (eds), The diocese of Meath, ancient and modern, 3 vols. Dublin. Dollard Publishers.