St. Cronan's Church, Roscrea (Church of Ireland)
| St. Cronan's Church | |
|---|---|
 View of the graveyard, nave, and tower of St. Cronan's Church, Roscrea | |
 | |
| 52°57′20″N 07°47′42″W / 52.95556°N 7.79500°W | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Denomination | Church of Ireland |
| Previous denomination | Roman Catholic (original 12th century church) |
| History | |
| Founded | 1812 |
| Architecture | |
| Style | Gothic/Romanesque |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Diocese of Limerick and Killaloe |
St. Cronan's Church is a 19th-century Church of Ireland church in Roscrea, County Tipperary, Ireland. The church was constructed in 1812 on the site of the original 12th century Romanesque church. The grounds include a graveyard and a replica high cross, enclosed by a rubble stone wall, cast iron gate and railings.[1]
Original church
[edit]The grounds include part of a 12th-century Romanesque church which was demolished in 1812 to make way for the construction of the current church. Only the western gable of the original church remains, including a bell-cot which was added at a later date. Stones and material from the original church were used for the new building.[2][1][3] The original church is registered as National Monument number 126.[4]
Current church design
[edit]The modern church was designed by local architect James Sheane, whose name is inscribed on a datestone in the tower and who was buried in the churchyard upon his death in 1816.[5] A porch was later added by John Bowden. The church was restored in 1879 by Thomas Newenham Deane.[6] The original construction was funded by the Board of First Fruits with a gift of £100 and a loan of £775.[7]
It is a detached, single-cell, gable-fronted church. The pitched roof is covered with artificial slate. There are 5 bays on each side of the nave which features Gothic pointed-arch stained glass windows, with a vestry to the south east, and a porch and 4-stage bell tower to the south west. The string coursed sandstone walls and tower feature crenellation and pinnacles, as well as diagonal buttresses and pinnacles on the porch. The pointed-arch main doorway holds a timber battened double-leaf door.[2]
Preservation
[edit]The church has been renovated several times, including a large renovation in the 1960s when the slate roof was replaced, the interior was redecorated, and the graveyard was deforested.[citation needed]
Its most notable historical artefact is a 17th-century pre-Reformation silver chalice decorated with raised angelic figures. The chalice may have been used at a wedding as the letters S.C. M.P., thought to be the initials of the couple, are inscribed on the base.[8]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "St. Cronan's Church". askaboutireland.ie. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
- ^ a b Heritage, National Inventory of Architectural. "Wilson's Bridge Additional Images: Buildings of Ireland: National Inventory of Architectural Heritage". buildingsofireland.ie. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
- ^ Farrelly, Jean; Caimin O'Brien (2002). Archaeological Inventory of County Tipperary: Vol. I – North Tipperary. Dublin: Stationery Office. p. 240. ISBN 0-7557-1264-1.
- ^ "Tipperary North" (PDF). National Monuments in State Care: Ownership & Guardianship. National Monuments Service. 4 March 2009.
- ^ "Dictionary of Irish Architects - SHEANE, JAMES". dia.ie. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
- ^ "1812 - Church of Ireland, Roscrea, Co. Tipperary - Architecture of Tipperary - Archiseek - Irish Architecture". archiseek.com. 9 March 2013. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
- ^ First-Fruits, United Church of England and Ireland Board of (1 January 1820). "The ecclesiastical register;: containing the names of the prelates, dignitaries and parochial clergy in Ireland; the denominations of their respective dignities and benefices: and exhibiting the progress made in providing churches, glebes, and glebe-houses for each benefice". Printed by J.J. Nolan, 3, Suffolk-street. Retrieved 2 December 2016 – via Google Books.
- ^ "RoscreaOnline St. Cronans Church of Ireland". roscreaonline.com. Retrieved 2 December 2016.