St. Marys Ch. — Glebe (balrothery West By., Clonmethan Ed)

The present St. Mary's Church of Ireland church ruins stands either on the site of or in close proximity to the site of the medieval nave and chancel parish church of Clonmethan (Gleann Meáin/Glynmethan) which was one of 13 Sacredotal Prebends belonging to St Patrick's Cathedral (DU018-020269-) which were established in 1190 by Archbishop Comyn (Mason 1820, 53; Cotton 1848, 145). Clonmethan was the mother church to its daughter chapel at Fieldstown (DU011-002001-) which was dedicated to St. Catherine the Virgin and Martyr which lies 4.1km to the S. Clonmethan church ruins stands on high ground overlooking a stream to the N. The W wall of the graveyard faces onto the public road 760m NW of Oltown village in the townland of Glebe, parish of Clonmethan in the barony of Balrothery West. The townland boundary with Clonmethan lies 210m to the S, and the boundary with Wyanstown townland lies 235m to N and 140m to the E. In the year 1230, King John granted and confirmed to John, Archbishop of Dublin, all the possessions, ecclesiastical and lay, of his see, which included; 'Glinmechan [Clonmethan], with its church; a moiety of the tithes of the land of Okadesy de Finegal [Fingal]’ (Cal doc Ire. Vol. 1, entry No. 1787, 266-7). The 1302-07 Ecclesiastical Taxation of the See of Dublin listed the 'Prebend of Glynmethan' which was valued at 20 marks per annum with the tithe valued at 2 marks (Cal. doc. Ire., Vol. 5, 237). In 1336, 'William de Byrton, prebendary of Glynmethan in the church of St. Patrick, Dublin' was recorded as staying in England (Cal. Pat. Rolls Edw. III 1334-38, 312). In 1391 the Crown ratified the 'estate of Matthew de Lytherland as prebendary of Glemethan in the cathedral church of St. Patrick, Dublin' (Cal. Pat. Rolls Richard II, 414). In 1414 Thomas Cranley, Prebendary of Clonmethan, was sued for two-third parts of the issues and profits of said prebend for two years, having been an absentee therefrom , but, on production of the king's letters patent licensing his absence, the claim was given up (D'Alton 1838, 404). In 1465 a papal letter was sent to the Augustinian Prior of All Saints or Priory of All Hallows [DU018-020044-] in Dublin, relating to the petition of the 22 year old Nicholas Douedale [Dovedale/Dowdall], clerk of the diocese of Dublin, who was to be promoted; 'to all, even holy orders and hold a benefice even with cure, on the voidance of a canonry of Dublin and the sacerdotal prebend of Clemethane [Clonmethan] therein by the death of Walter Hyll [Hill]' (Cal. papal letters, Vol. 12, 467-8). In 1474 'Nicholas Dovedale, Prebendary of Clonmethan, in a petition preferred by him to Parliament, 14th Edw. IV. stated, that divers persons, aliens, strangers and denizens, did frequent in considerable numbers, by way of pilgrimage, the chapel of St. Catherine the Virgin and Martyr of F[i]eldstown [DU011-002001-], which was appropriated and annexed to the Prebend of Clonmethan, being for the health and safety of their souls and accomplishment of their petitions and prayers' (Mason 1820, 53). In 1475 Nicholas Dowdall, Prebendary of Clonmethan, had license of absence for eight years to enable him to prosecute his studies at Oxford (D'Alton 1838, 404). D'Alton (ibid.) recorded that in 1540 at the dissolution Nicholas Lyn was Prebendary of Clonmethan, at which time an inquisition taken stated the possessions of the prebend as one manse and eight acres of land, value 8s.; then tithes of the hamlets of Clonmethan, Old-town, Killeene, Cabragh, Morton, Jordanstown, Cotterelstown, Newinnings, Wyanstown, and the fifty acres near Morton, worth per annum (exclusive of the altarages and demesne assigned for the curate at Clonmethan and repair of the chancel) £17 5s. together with the tithes of Fieldstown [DU011-002001-] (exclusive of the altarages and stipend assigned to the curate). In 1547 the rectory of Clonmethan was leased to John Talbot of Malahide, and by him assigned to Patrick Barnewall of Grace-Dieu for twenty-one years at £21 5s. 4d. annual rent. In 1560 Alexander Craike, Prebendary of Clonmethan and Dean of St. Patrick's, was promoted to the see of Kildare, retaining, however, the deanery of St. Patrick's therewith, "in as much as the said bishopric as well in spirituals as temporals, by continual and intolerable oppression of the Irish rebels, is become so small and poor as to be inefficient for keeping of hospitality, and maintaining other charges which the said bishop is obliged to support." In 1561 Walter Hill was prebendary. He was also vicar of Lusk [DU008-010004-], and contributed largely towards the repair of that church. In 1564 Robert Daly, who had been prebendary of this place, was consecrated Bishop of Kildare, and held this prebend with the vicarage of Swords [DU011-034004-] in commendam. The queen's letter of this year mentions, that he "is well commended to her for his good name and honest living, and the rather because he was well able to preach in the Irish tongue" '. In 1546/7 an Inquisition held at Swords recorded the following details about the tithes of Clonmethan Church; 'The tithes are derived from the hamlets of Clonmethan, Oldtowne, Kyllene, Cabraghe, Morton, Jordanston, Cotterelston, Newynnyngs, Wyaneston and the fyfty acres near Morton, which are worth, per annum, (exclusive of the alterages and demesne, assigned for the Curate at Clonmethan, and repair of the Chancel)' (Mason 1820, 54). In 1615, the Royal Visitation of Dublin recorded that in the Deanery of Garristown there was Clonmethan Church which was served by the curate, Thomas Richmond who was described as 'Minister and Preacher'. The building was described as Church and Chancel good, with books' (Ronan 1941, 24). According to Ronan (ibid.) 'Glinmethane (according to the ancient records) became Clonmethan (Cluain Meathan). It stood "in terra Occadesis" and was a sacerdotal prebend of St. Patrick's [DU018-020269-] at the foundation of the chapter. In 1630, Archbishop Bulkeley’s Visitation of Dublin, recorded the following details about Clonmethan; ‘The church and chauncell are upp, but not decent within. The tythes belong unto Richard Powell, Mr. of Arte and preacher, as one of the prebends of St. Patricks, worth xl libri per annum. There are not above x or xii in that parishe that come to church to heare divine service. William Tedder aforesaid serves the cure' (Ronan 1941, 69). Church building was described in the 1654-56 Civil Survey of Dublin as; 'There is an old Church upon ye p'[re]misses of Clonmedan out of repaire. The whole Parish of Clonmedan did Suite & Service to ye Archbishops' Court at Swordes [DU011-034001-] & now to ye Colledg. The Tythes of ye whole Parish did Anno 1640 belong to ye Parson (except those of Rolestowne wch belong'd to Mr. ffagan of ffeltrum) & now belong to ye Colledge' (Simington 1945, 152). The Civil Survey recorded that 'The Church of Clonmedan' stood in Clonmedan and possessed 10 acres [16a] of arable land which today forms part of the glebe land of St Mary's Church (Simington 1945, 157). In 1667 the Archbishop of Dublin had a grant of fifty acres plantation measure here, with various other lands in augmentation of his see; and in 1675 the parishes of Clonmethan, Balmadun, Palmerstown, Grenogue, Westpalstown, and Ballyboghill, were united by act of council. According to D'Alton (1838, 404-7); 'in 1695 Henry Rider, Bishop of Killaloe, was buried in this church. In 1716 Archbishop King, by virtue of a power vested in him by act of parliament, granted to the Prebendary of Clonmethan and his successors for ever as a glebe for that parish, the following lands, viz. the five-acre park with garden and cabin adjoining thereto; the two-acre park, and four acres and a half adjoining to the five-acre park, and the rest of Begge's land, being eight acres and a half, all lying near the church of Clonmethan, for which the incumbent was to pay £1 10s. yearly to the archbishop. In 1720 John Grattan