Nunnery

The parish church of Tisara is listed as Checkfrate in the ecclesiastical taxation of Elphin in 1306 (Cal. doc. Ire., vol. 5, 224). There is a strong local tradition that it was associated with the Carmelites and provided a hostel for pilgrims (Beirne 1997a). A Carmelite Third Order presence continued in the area down to the late 19th century and was commemorated by a headstone dated 1904 in the graveyard (Josten 1977). The church is within a rectangular graveyard (RO044-043002-) (dims c. 50m E-W; c. 40m N-S) defined by masonry walls. It is situated on a level low-lying landscape with a hill rising to the E. It was excavated (94E0020) in advance of conservation by J. Higgins in 1994 who unravelled the building sequence (1995a, b). The conservation received a National Heritage Award in 1997. The church is a single-cell structure with a N transept and indications of two building phases, the earlier probably of 12-13th century date. It was extended in the 15th century when the present church (int. dims at least 13.9m E-W; 5.4m N-S; H c. 4m) with a decorated E window was built. A two storey structure to the S (ext. dims 12.8m N-S; 7.85m E-W) with two N-S barrel-vaults at the ground floor post-dates the 15th century church and may have provided dormitory accommodation, while a building to the N (int. dims 7.7m N-S; 4.7m E-W) with a garderobe chute is probably contemporary with the earlier church. There is the shaft of a memorial cross (RO044-043003-) (dims 0.18m x 0.17m; H 1.50m) bearing a fragment of an inscription in the graveyard (Siggins 1986b, 34-5). It now supports the head of another small cross (H 0.45m; Wth 0.4m). A grave-marker (RO044-043006-) with an unusual disc head and a slightly raised latin cross on each face was recorded by Mary B . Timoney in 2015. A post-medieval Church of Ireland church is now in ruins at the NW corner of the graveyard. A section of a sunken roadway (RO044-043004-) (Wth 3.3m; D 0.35-0.07m) runs E and SE from the graveyard (L. c. 100m) but it is continued W of the graveyard as the present laneway access (L c. 700m). The Church Well (RO044-043005-), a rectangular, drystone-revetted opening (int. dims 1.1m x 1.05m; D c. 3m) is open to the N and within a drystone-walled enclosure (dims 4.25m N-S; 3.6m E-W; H 1m) and lies c. 180m SE of the church, but there is no evidence of veneration. See the attached views of the E window from the W (001) and E (004) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 24 August 2010