Church (in Ruins) — Naul

The chapel of St. Michael of the Naul (Sancti Michaelis de Nalla) stood in an elevated position in the S quadrant of a square-shaped graveyard (DU004-045005-) at the NE end of The Naul (An Aill/ the Cliff) Village (DU004-045----) with Naul Castle (Black Castle) (DU004-045002-) overlooking the Delvin River 100m to N. A possible holy well known locally as Lady Well (DU004-045003- ) lies 15m to ENE and a bridge (DU004-045008- ) crossing the Delvin River stands 220m to NW. White Castle or Snowtown Castle (ME034-010----) lies 370m to NW and a Corn Mill (ME034-009----) stands on the N side of the river 170m to N. A second watermill (DU004-045001-) at Westown lies 220m to WNW. No surface remains visible of medieval church of the Naul which was probably levelled around 1814 when the C. of I. constructed a church probably on the site of the medieval church (Healy 1975, 16). A chapel (DU004-045010-), possibly a chantry chapel was built in 1710 by the Hussey family to the S of the medieval church site. During the building of this chapel they reused the doorway and windows from the medieval church. The C. of I. church that was built in 1814 (Walsh 1888, 244) was demolished c. 1939-40 (SMR File). The C. of I. church was described as; ‘a very plain, small, and nearly square building. Its W gable is surmounted by a one-arched bell-turret. At the S stand the four unfinished walls of a chauntry’ (Walsh 1888, 244). The outline of this levelled post-1700 church is clearly visible on Digital Globe orthoimages taken between 2011-13. The medieval chapel of Naul was originally built by the Cruise family of Naul Castle which stands today in the parish of Naul, in the diocese of Dublin, the barony of Balrothery West. In the early 13th century Naul church stood in the deanery of Swords then later Garristown, in the Diocese of Dublin and formed part of the cell or manor (grange/farm) of Colp, which was part of the monastic estate of Llanthony Prima, Augustinian Priory in Monmouthshire, Wales under the patronage of Hugh de Lacy and his son Walter de Lacy in the late 12th/ early 13th century. The Delvin River marks the county boundary with Meath, the parish boundary with Clonalvy, the diocesan boundary between Dublin and Meath and the barony boundary with Duleek Upper. The townland on the N side of the Delvin River is also called the Naul. In 1185 Stephen de Crues, held the manor of Naul, as recorded in Archbishop Alen’s Register (McNeill 1950, 14). In 1200 AD it was recorded that ‘Stephen de Cruwes [Cruwys/Cruise/Cruwys Morchard, Devonshire] gives to the K [ing] 15 marks sterling to have his land [Naul], whereof he was disseised by the K[ing].'s order. Mandate to Meyler Fitz Henry, justiciary of Ireland, to cause Stephen to have seisin of that land; and if within the time of disseisin anything has been taken therefrom, it, shall be accounted to Stephen in the 15 marks. Further mandate to Meyler Fitz Henry, that by counsel of the Barons of Ireland he inquire and certify how much land there is there, what it is worth, and what service it owes to the K[ing]. The K[ing]. until fully certified will not give Stephen his charter’ (Cal Doc Irel. No 113, 17). In 1227 it was recorded that the King had ‘taken the homage of Robert de Crus [Cruise] for half a knight’s fee in Nalle [Naul], which Stephen, his father, held of the K[ing]. in capite, and which descends to Robert by hereditary right’ (Cal Doc Irel. No 1527, 230-1). In 1292 after the death of Robert de Cruys of the Naul there was an inquisition into the extent of his estate which recorded that; 'The advowson of the church (DU004-045004-) of the vill of Cruys also belongs to the heirs' gift and is worth 10 marks a year' (Cal. doc. Ire. No. 1066, 467-8). According to Ronan (1941, 24); ‘an ancient church stood near the cliff or rock (an aill) on which the old castle still stands. It was supplanted by a church built by and named after Stephen de Crues or Cruise (i.e. of the Cross; a crusader) before 1200 when it was granted with other churches in this district to the priory of Llanthony [Llanthony Prima (Mother House) and Secunda (Daughter House), Augustinian Priory of Wales and Gloucester]’. In 1211, the following churches in Ireland which were ‘formerly communally and jointly held in Ireland’ were granted to Llanthony Prima, Augustinian Priory in Monmouthshire, Wales, ‘Llanthony in Wales should have the ‘church of Naul and chapel of the vill of Ralph de Nugent [Kilsharvan ME027-009----], and in Fingal the church of Garristown, and the church of Palmerstown, and all churches which they likewise had in Delvin’ (Hogan 2006, 103). The church of Naul stood in the Gaelic territory of the O’Cathasaigh or O’Casey’s which was co-extensive with the barony of Balrothery West. The extent of Ocathesi's country is ascertained from a composition between John Archbishop of Dublin, and Galfridus Prior of Lanthony (Registrum Alani , fol. 110 a), concerning the ecclesiastical rights of terra O'Kadesi [O’Casey’s territory], in which a partition is made, and the Archbishop grants to the Prior the churches of Villa Ogari [Garristown DU003-011001-] cum capella de Palmerstown [DU007-013001-]; de Sancto Nemore [Holywood DU004-023001-] in Fingall; capella terre Regredi alias Riredi, scilicet Grathelach [the Grallagh DU007-001001-]; Ecclesia Ville Stephani de Cruys or Nalle [the Naul]’ (O’Donovan 1862, V). In 1293 the Irish Exchequer recorded a payment from Walter de la Haye, custodian of the Archdiocese of Dublin of £7 from the ‘fruits of the church of Naul’ and John Russel who paid 26s. 8d. from the same fruits, for Master Henry de Bray of Harlestone, Northamptonshire, out of the Manor of Colp [Cell of Lanthony Prima] (Cal Doc Irel. No 47, 33). The 1302-07 Ecclesiastical Taxation of Ireland recorded that in the Deanery of Swords the church of the Naul was valued at £10 per annum with the tithe valued at 20s. (Cal Doc Irel. Vol. 5, 239). Archbishop Cromer’s Register contained a petition of probable 16th-century date [c. 1519], ‘from John Caddell, and his chaplain, Dominus Donall of the diocese of Meath, to Alexander Plunket, concerning the intrusion of the Canons of Lanthony [Prima (Augustinian Priory founded by Hugh de Lacy) in Monmouthshire, Wales & Secunda (daughter-house) in Gloucester] and their Procurator into the chapel of St. Michael of the Naul (Sancti Michaelis de Nalla). That the petitioner and his predecessors had the right from time immemorial to celebrate divine service in the aforementioned chapel; that he had received tutorial letters from the Roman Court; that he had been guaranteed the protection of the Armagh Curia; and that, in spite of all these assurances, the Vicar General's two commissaries, the Prior of Louth and the Archdeacon of Armagh, had gone outside their delegated jurisdiction and set aside the tutorial letters. The present appeal asks the Vicar General to reopen the case and have justice done’ (Murray 1933, 47). The Royal Visitation of Dublin Diocese in 1615 described the building as ‘Nall Capella’ (Naul Chapel) and was described as ‘Spectans ad eandem. Idem’, the same as that of the vicarage of Hollywood [DU004-023001-] with the chapel of Grallagh [DU007-001001-] which was served by the curate Terentius Ivers and Edwardus Corbet was the lately deceased vicar (Ronan 1941, 23-4). In 1630, the Visitation of Dublin Diocese by the Protestant Archbishop, Dr. Bulkeley recorded the following details about the churches in ‘Hollywo[o]d, Grallagh and Nall [Naul]’; ‘The churches and chauncells are ruinous. The tythes are impropriat, worth .... per annum, held by the Right Honourable the Lord Vicecomte Moore. There are not above eight persons that frequent divine service in that parish. Mr. John Hyde, Mr. of Arte and preacher, is vicar of Hollywood and curate of the rest, beinge worth sixteene pownds per annum. Mass is comonly said in the howses of Mr. Cadle and Mr. Cruce [Cruise/Naul Castle]’ (