Caherconlish Church

Freestanding Board of First Fruits Church of Ireland church, built in 1770, incorporating fabric from earlier periods. Comprising battered square-plan three-stage crenellated tower to east elevation and two-bay nave. Now ruinous. Octagonal limestone tower with ball finial and cast-iron weather vane to apex. Roughcast render over rubble limestone walls to nave. Roughcast render over dressed limestone walls to tower having render strip quoins. Cut limestone architrave to tower, second stage and stringcourses to third stage and roof line. Pointed arch window openings to nave with limestone sills. Pointed arch window openings to tower having limestone sills. Oculi to tower, second stage, north and south elevations with limestone surrounds. Pointed arch door opening to tower, north elevation having tooled limestone surround and cast-iron gate. Inscribed plaque to tower interior. Graveyard to site. Pair of square-profile rendered piers to east having wrought-iron double-leaf gates and rendered boundary walls.

This church, erected in the Early English style, is identified by the simple arrangement of single-cell nave and crenellated octagonal tower. It was in use until 1871. Despite its ruinous condition, high quality design is evident in the elegant tower with octagonal spire and cut limestone details. The site has been in use since the mid seventeenth century and houses the remains of the Gabbett family. Plaque to inside of tower reads: 'The family vault beneath the chancel of this church was erected Abt AD 1670 by William Gabbett esq. of Caherline Co. Limerick great grandson of Robert Gabott of Acton Burnell Salop. Exon of the Yeoman Guard Ao 2 Henry VII 1486'.