Church in Cork City

In graveyard (CO074-03301-) on Shandon hill. Built in 1722 on site of earlier church, St. Mary's Shandon, which was demolished during siege of 1690 (O'Shea 1943, 32). Described by Craig (1982, 207) as 'simple rectangle with shallow sanctuary and a West tower'. Tower 'unusually massive and graceful, diminishing by two offsets between three stages, though with four openings on the West face' (ibid). Tower and church faced with limestone ashlar to W and S and red sandstone to N and E. Tower heightened c. 1749 by 'addition of three more diminishing stages, more elaborately finished and culminating in a small stone dome' (ibid), all of limestone and surmounted by 'a golden sphere and a large golden weather vane in the form of a salmon' (ibid). 'The clock in the church tower has four dials, each fourteen feet in diameter and was erected in 1847' (O'Shea 1943, 34). The famous Shandon bells, 'eight in number, were cast by Abel Rudhall, of Gloucester, and were set up in 1750' (ibid). Still in use as C of I church. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 2: East and South Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1994). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 14 January 2009