Ruins of Castletown Parish Church

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Detached ruined church, originally built 1641, located in the centre of Donacavey Old Churchyard, to the east of Church Street. Church consists of rectangular nave with square tower, built c. 1820, to west.

Walls are coursed rubble with fieldstone quoins. Windows were gothic (now gone) in stepped sandstone surrounds.

Principal elevation faces south and contains four openings; central two openings retain sills.

West gable is abutted at centre by three stage tower; each stage contains single window to north, west and south elevation, divided by sandstone string course; corbelled frieze to top; third stage window is larger, surmounted by hood moulding with label stops; pointed-arched-headed entrance opening to south; to east, double-height segmental-headed entrance opening with rubble voussoirs to nave.

North elevation is blank; central section has fallen away.

East gable contains chancel window opening with rubble voussoirs; remains of sandstone tracery; sill and tracery partially fallen away.

Enclosed within the church ruin are a selection of gated memorial plots and wall-mounted memorial stones, including the seventeenth century Gilbert Eccles monument (HB11/02/009), and a selection of eighteenth and nineteenth century examples. To south wall, red brick pointed-arched-headed voussoirs over pointed-segmental voussoirs with brick repairs surround memorial stone.

Setting

The surrounding churchyard contains selection of eighteenth-, nineteenth- and twentieth-century grave markers. Bounded to road
at west by rubble retaining wall surmounted by iron railings; access via stone steps to pair of square ashlar sandstone piers with concrete coping supporting wrought-iron gates. Further entrance gates to north.

Roof N/A
Walling Coursed rubble
Windows N/A
RWG N/A

Historical information

The church is captioned on the first edition OS map (1833) but by the second (1854) it is marked as ‘Church (in ruins)’ and ‘Grave Yard’. In the Townland Valuation Records (1828-40) the church is valued at £12 2s 0d but the building does not appear in Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64).

OS Memoirs makes two
references to the church: “The church of England is situated at the north east end of the town on the most elevated point of the slope the latter occupies. It is a rectangular building of small dimensions, with a square steeple but no spire…It will accommodate 800 persons. It is too small for the comfort of the congregation and a new one is being talked of.” (p. 63-4) “At the north eastern extremity of the town stands the church in a very bad state of repair. It will hold 600 persons, and notwithstanding the overflowing congregations which attend the admirable discourses of the Reverend Atthill, the rector, and the Reverend Williams Tomes, his curate, the church is suffered to remain in a most disgraceful state. Many of the pews are not even floored and in other respects it is wanting in every necessary comfort. There being a sum of 480 pounds in the hands of Charles Eccles Esquire, raised by assessments off the parish towards the building of a new church, it is to be hoped that something will shortly be done towards this very desirable object.” (p.68-9)

A local history pamphlet states that the church was built in 1642, just outside the walls of Leigh’s castle and the stone window frames were brought from the previous church which was destroyed in the 1641 war. The tower was added in 1818 and it was closed and deconsecrated in 1839. (Baxter, p.12) (Leslie, p.169)

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/6/51/1-3 – Ordnance Survey Maps (1833, 1854, 1906)
2. PRONI VAL/1/B/63/B – Townland Valuation Records (1828-40)
3. PRONI VAL/2/B/6/3B – Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64)
4. Day, A an McWilliams, P ‘OS Memoirs of Ireland, Parishes of County Tyrone I, 1821, 1823, 1833-36, Vol 5’ Institute of Irish Studies, 1990

Secondary Sources

1. Baxter, J and Fintona Development Assoc. ‘Fintona and the Rare Oul’ Times’ (n.d)
2. Leslie, Canon JB ‘Clergy of Clogher’, Ulster Historical Foundation, 2006

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Detached ruined church, originally built 1641, located in the centre of Donacavey Old Churchyard, to the east of Church Street. Despite its ruinous state, this seventeenth century church retains some original detailing and memorials, such as Gilbert Eccles monument (HB11/02/009). The original single cell form is enhanced by a distinguishable square tower to the west end, added c 1820. However, it is ruinous and it is not appropriate to list structures that are more appropriately protected as scheduled monuments.