Rathronan Church

Freestanding gable-fronted Hiberno-Romanesque style mausoleum, erected in 1865. Pitched cut limestone roof with carved limestone Celtic cross finials and ridge tiles. Cut stone arcaded cornice to north and south elevations. Cut stone walls having alternating limestone and sandstone courses, and cut limestone plinth course. Blind arcade with carved chevrons to arches and columns to north, south and west elevations, with inscribed memorial stones to west elevation. Carved sandstone coat of arms to upper gable, east elevation. Round-headed opening to east elevation having columns supporting tooled limestone arch and cable-edged cut limestone arch over double-leaf cast-iron panelled door with inscribed limestone tympanum overhead. Cut limestone hoodmoulding, terminating in tooled stops to each side. Arched diamond pattern overhead hoodmoulding. Oculus opening to west elevation having decorative carved sandstone surround.

The high social status and prosperity of the Smith O'Briens of Cahermoyle House, the patrons of this mausoleum, is evident in the careful design and well executed stone work. The mausoleum was designed by William Fogerty in a Hiberno-Romanesque style that prefigures that of Cahermoyle. It was an appropriate style for William Smith O'Brien who was an MP for Limerick and led the Young Irelanders into revolt against the British government in 1848. He was arrested following their defeat and sentenced to death but had that sentence commuted to transportation to Tasmania. The highly ornate façade incorporates a variety of Celtic Revival motifs and the following inscriptions: . The inscriptions add context and, in addition to "William Smith O'Brien/Born 17 October/1803/Died 18 June 1861" and "Lucy Caroline O'Brien/Born ----/1811/Died 18 June 1861", the mausoleum is inscribed: "HERE LIES/EDWARD WILLIAM/ELDEST SON/OF WILLIAM SMITH O'BRIEN/A JVST MAN/A LOVER OF HIS PEOPLE/BORN 24 JAN 1837/DIED 21 JAN 1909". The base of the mausoleum is signed on one end by Fogerty, on the opposite end by the builder, James Kavanagh of Limerick, while the cast-iron doors carry the name of Perrott of Cork. The mausoleum forms an interesting group with the adjacent Rathronan Church and the adjacent Massey Mausoleum.