What is recorded here

Bullaun stone, not a whole basin but a worn fragment, stands at the entrance of the Gothic Revival church in Rathfarnham, moved from the old Mass House where Penal Times worship continued from 1732. Its hollowed edge may have caught baptismal water or rain, and its transfer into the new church doorway turned a hidden act of faith into a public one. The stone no longer needs explanation; it arrives already marked by restraint, danger and continuity.

At the entrance to the 19th-century Gothic Revival Roman Catholic Church at Rathfarnham (NIAH Reg. no. 11216008) are the remains of a bullaun stone reused as a font/stoup that was removed from Rathfarnham Mass House (DU022-116----) to its present location and has been placed on top of a pedestal which has a plaque above it that reads; 'Font used in Mass House of Penal Times in Parish of Rathfarnham from A.D. 1732'. Rathfarnham Mass House was located 190m to the SW of Rathfarnham R. C. Church. Compiled by Caimin O'Brien

Dated to the early Christian period (5th–11th century), the bullaun stone was likely used for baptisms or as a holy water font, reflecting its religious significance. It may have originally been associated with a medieval ecclesiastical site or monastic settlement in the area.

The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.