Church (in Rns.) — Clondalkin

The medieval nave and chancel parish church of Clondalkin (Chluain Dolcáin/Dolcáin's Meadow) dedicated to St. Mochua was described in the Urban Survey of Dublin (Bradley and King 1988, 215-24) as follows; 'The origins of the settlement of Clondalkin lie in the Early Christian period with the foundation of a monastery there in the seventh century by St Mochua (Cronan) (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 31). Abbots are first mentioned in the annals during the eighth century and it is recorded that the relics of Mochua were translated here in 789. The monastery was sufficiently important to be plundered by the Vikings in 833 and shortly afterwards Clondalkin became a base for Viking activities in the area. Like the other Célí Dé monasteries of Tallaght [DU021-037002-] and Finglas [DU014-066----] the lands became part of the see lands of the diocese of Dublin. This happened before the Anglo-Norman invasion (White 1959, no. 111; Mason 1820, 26, note e) and it presumably reflects the diocesan reorganization that occurred after the Synods of Rath Breasail (1111 AD) and Kells (1152 AD). Under the Norman archbishops Clondalkin became the centre of one of the largest manors belonging to the metropolitan see. After the foundation of St. Patrick's Cathedral [DU018-020269-] it was attached by Archbishop Henry of, London to the dean of the cathedral (Mason 1820, 26). In conjunction with the manor the archbishops established a borough. Its existence is first indicated by a mention in an extent of the manor of Clondalkin in 1326, but it is likely that it was already established in the thirteenth century. St. Mochua's parish church The present St John's Anglican Church occupies part of the site of the medieval building which is known only from eighteenth century drawings. These show it to have had a graded triple lancet in the east wall, an aisled chancel, and a two-light belfry of the type characteristic of fifteenth century Pale churches (Ball 1902—20, i v, 109). It is known from the will of William Neill, made in 1471, that the church contained three altars, dedicated to SS. Mary, Thomas and Brigid (Berry 1898, 98). The medieval church fell into ruin after the mid-seventeenth century when the parish was united to that of Tallaght (Ball 1902—20, i v, 123). Part of the church was restored, however, at the beginning of the eighteenth century and appears as such in the illustration prepared by T. Archdeacon c. 1770 (Ball 1902-20, i vr 109). The building appears to have been in a rather precarious state, however, and Beranger records that it collapsed as a result of the shock waves generated by the explosion of Caldbeck's Powder Mills at Clondalkin in 1787 (Barrow 1979, 82; Ua Broin 1944, 206, f. n, 9). The ruins of the building were examined by Mason (1820, 26 note e) who stated that the church was originally large, and that it measured 38 yards [35m E-W) long by 18 [16m N-S] wide. The only remnant of the old church is a chunk of masonry [dims. L 2.8m x T 0.9m] southeast of the modern building'. Only the SE angle of the E gable of the medieval parish church of Clondalkin remains standing in the SE corner of St. John's graveyard. A drawing from the SE of the ruinous nave and chancel church at Clondalkin by Thomas Archdeakon dated July 1791, shows that only the nave was roofed and that a five-light switchline traceried window had been inserted into the chancel arch which then served as the E window of the church. The E window of the chancel consisted of three single light lancet windows of graduating height with a pointed window in the S wall of the chancel. The S side of the nave is shown projecting outwards which served as the S aisle of the medieval church. On the apex of the W gable of the nave there is a crenellated double bellcote. The graveyard wall appears in the foreground of this drawing (https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000147028). On this drawing the memorial plaque is shown inserted into the SE corner of the E gable of the nave and chancel church, this is the same 18th-century memorial plaque that is visible today in the external face of the SE angle of the E wall of the medieval nave and chancel parish church of Clondalkin. The inscription beneath the Christogram on the memorial plaque reads “This stone was erected by Laurence Ternan. Beneath lies interred ye body of his father Patrick Ternan who departed 25th July 1754”. A drawing of the church by Gabriel Beranger dated 1767 shows a different type of E window and the bellcote is possibly shown rising from the gable of the chancel arch instead of the W gable. Beranger's Apainting may be based on an earlier depiction of the church ruins surveyed and drawn by Samuel Molyneux c. 1709. To see a 3D model of the 18th-century memorial plaque visit; https://skfb.ly/oJ9GZ See attached 18th-century drawing of the east view of the medieval nave and chancel church of Clondalkin See attached 1792 drawing of St. John's Anglican Church which was built across the western end of the medieval nave and chancel parish church c. 1785-9, taken from Grose's Antiquities of Ireland NLI PD 1976 TX 31 National Library of Ireland, Archdeakon, T. (1791) Clondalkin Church County Dublin. View of the church and round tower of Clondalkin, County Dublin, Ireland, with buildings on either side. Grose Collection NLI, PD 1975 TX 28 (68), National Library of Ireland, View of a round tower and church at Clondalkin, Co. Dublin, with a note on their destruction in the blowing up of a powder mill. Sketch books of Irish antiquities by W. Frazer. NLI, PD 1958 TX (33) National Library of Ireland, Drawing of two men seated in the foreground looking at the Round Tower of Clondalkin, County Dublin, Ireland, and the medieval church beside it. Two cows graze nearby, 1767. A Collection of Drawings of the Principal, Antique Buildings of Ireland Designd on ye spot, and Collected by GL. Berenger [sic], Vol. I. White, N.B. 1959 Registrum Diocesi Dublinensis: a sixteenth century Dublin precedent book. Stationery Office for the Irish Manuscripts Commission, Dublin. Berry, H.F. 1898 Account Roll of Holy Trinity. Dublin. Barry, T. 2015 The Journeys of Samuel Molyneux in Ireland, 1708–1709. Analecta Hibernica, No. 46, 1-83. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 17 July 2023