Catholic Church of the Holy Rosary

Freestanding gable-fronted cruciform-plan Romanesque Revival style Roman Catholic church, begun in 1904. Comprising gable-fronted projecting entrance and carved limestone campanile style bellcote with marble columns and cross finial to front (west) elevation, four-bay nave, two-bay transepts, canted chancel and two-bay single-storey sacristy to rear (east) elevation. Pitched slate roofs having limestone copings, cross finials, terracotta ridge tiles and sandstone eaves course. Hipped slate roof to chancel with sandstone eaves course. Hipped slate roof to sacristy having sandstone chimneystack and eaves course. Rusticated sandstone walls with buttresses having limestone caps and limestone plinth course. Round-headed tripartite openings to front with limestone hoodmouldings, block-and-start surround, continuous sill course and stained glass windows. Round-headed openings having alternating sandstone and limestone voussoirs, limestone hoodmouldings, block-and-start surrounds and stained glass windows. Limestone multifoil rose stained windows with alternating sandstone and limestone voussoirs to transepts, north and south elevations. Entrance comprising ashlar limestone surround, paired marble columns with carved limestone capitals supporting limestone hoodmoulding with carved sawtooth motifs over double-leaf timber battened doors having wrought-iron strap hinges. Timber scissors truss roof with render corbels to interior. Carrara marble high altar 'Cornonation of the Belssed Virgin Mary' designed and executed by Edmund Sharpe. Geometric tiled floor. Round-headed arcade having marble columns and render capitals. Mosaic tiling to chancel. Timber gallery to entrance. Pair of cast-and-wrought-iron piers to west having cross finials, double-leaf cast-iron gates and inscribed plaque to north pier. Sandstone boundary walls with cast-iron railings.

A well composed substantial rural church built in a Romanesque style and composed on a traditional plan. The site was given by Sir Charles Barrington and the church was built for the Very Rev. J.J. Duan. It was estimated that the church would cost £7,000. The contractor was Thomas Williams of Borrisoleigh. The foundation stone was laid 16 Oct 1904 by Archbishop of Cashel and Emly and the church was dedicated in October 1906. The combination of red sandstone with limestone produces an attractive textured and polychromatic visual effect, while the delicate carved detailing attests to high quality craftsmanship. The particularly fine interior incorporates a range of features of artistic design distinction such as the mosaic-tiled panels, stained glass windows, profiled timber joinery and exposed timber roof construction of technical engineering significance, all of which are illustrative of high quality craftsmanship. The church occupies a prominent site in the town of Moroe and forms a striking feature in the townscape, identified by the campanile style bellcote that punctuates the skyline.