St Marys Church — Horseclose

In graveyard (14582), on N side of Doneraile. C of I parish church of Doneraile. Rectangular gable-ended slate-roofed church (23.4m E-W; 12.79m N-S) with 3-storey embattled tower at W end. Walls rendered over roughly-coursed limestone construction, bottom course of limestone blocks atop shallow plinth; top of arch visible on plinth in S wall indicates position of burial vault under nave. Slim clasping square column at each corner, crowned by pinnacle. Interior lit by four pointed windows in both N and S wall: sash windows with switch-line glazing, and by central pointed stain-glass window in E wall with Y-tracery. Nave windows framed outside by shallow trefoil-arched rebates; string course along wall links spring point of each arch. East window, and pointed niche on either side, are framed by similar rebates linked by slim engaged Doric column crowned with pinnacle; central trefoil-arch highest, with prominent keystone inscribed with date 'AD 1815'. Tower at W gable is off-centre to S. Each floor marked externally by string course. Round-headed doorway in S wall is cut into frame of higher earlier doorway (now blocked). Tower contains ring of six bells given to church in 1889 (Cole 1903, 199; Dukes 1994, 80). Tower had spire which was blown down c. 1825 (Lewis 1837, vol. 1, 478). At E end of N wall of church is small 1-storey ornate porch, once private entrance of the St Ledger family of Doneraile Court (14887). Internal walls of church are lined with three tiers of open wooden colonnades, rising from solid panel base to roof; late-18th and 19th century memorial plaques and tablets on walls, including St. Ledger's marble monument of 1759 (Grove White 1892-4). Open king-post type timber roof overhead. Also pews, pulpit, altar organ etc., many of these dating from improvements made in 1890-1910 (Cole 1903, 199). Inscribed stone on W wall of tower reads: 'This church was first built by the right Hon. Sir William St. Ledger, the Lord President of Munster, Anno Domini 1633, and afterwards built by his grandson, the Right Honourable Arthur Lord Viscount Doneraile, Anno Domini 1726'. Illustrated in 1728 estate map shows church as small rectangular gabled building, with central east window and three windows in S wall with possible door at W end, and indistinct tower on W gable (Shine 1989, 53; Power and Sleeman 1992, 75). Smith in 1750 (vol. 1, 330) described it having a 'pretty spire, guilded ball, and a weathercock'. Date stone suggests nave rebuilt in 1815 leaving earlier tower at W end. In porch is an old bell with inscription recording its manufacture in 1636 and repair in 1700 (Cole ibid.; Dukes ibid.). Nearby is 17th-century circular stone baptismal font (diam. 0.41m; H 0.15m) with Latin inscription around rim; it was removed here when Rathgoggin C of I church (14723) was closed in 1960. The font now rests on a square stone pedestal (0.43m x 0.43m; H 0.55m) discovered at Cooliney House (14881); each face is carved with human figure standing under a rounded arch; although very weathered one figure clearly hold a shield in one hand and a sword in another, a second figure has its hands raised in prayer and may be wearing a crown. There is an engaged columns at each corner; the upper surface has a central circular straight-sided depression (diam. 0.23m; D 0.007m) with a drain hole. It may be 13th century in date. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 4: North Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2000). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 14 January 2009