Church in An Gróbh

Situated on the E side of Main Street within the medieval walled town is the site of the 13th century parish church (Cal Docs Ire, V, 297) which was appropriated to the Augustinian priory of St. Mary's Killagh, near Castlemaine. The church was probably refurbished or rebuilt in the 15th/16th century, reputedly under Spanish patronage (Smith 1756, 177). According to McKenna (1979, 48), Dingle was one of the chief embarkation points for the great medieval pilgrimage to the shrine of St. James at Compostela and it is probably no coincidence then that the church was dedicated to St. James. By 1756, only a small section of the church was kept in repair, the remainder having gone to ruin (Smith, 177). In the graveyard, S of the church, many carved fragments of medieval date have been re-used as gravemarkers. These include 3 large sandstone dripstones and sections of a weathered eaves coping. Also carved from sandstone is section of a moulded arch with 3 receding chamfers, which probably formed part of a round-headed doorway. A 2nd arch fragment has a broad chamfered arris. Near the SW corner of the graveyard is section of a door jamb of 2 chamfered orders. The fragment is carved from limestone and has 16th century punch dressing on the reveal. Other chamfered blocks probably also date to the same period. The present Church of Ireland church was built on the site in 1807 and there are no visible remains of any earlier structure. A plain octagonal stone font which now stands in the modern edifice is traditionally associated with the medieval church. In the graveyard E of the church are 3 medieval tomb slabs; a 4th undated example may also belong to this period: (1) The FitzGerald Slab 1504: This trapezoidal tomb slab, carved from sandstone, is now broken into 2 sections. The stone bears 3 shields, the upper containing the arms of the Munster FitzGeralds: Ermine, a Saltire Gules, with a Boar and a Griffin for supporters. The 2nd shield contains a heart with the inscription HM.KT.H. and the lower shield bears a saltire between 3 objects resembling eagles heads (FitzGerald 1911, 391). At the narrow end of the slab is an incised Latin cross with the sacred monogram, INRI, above it and the inscription B.S.E.C.(S)A INDEOAOA beneath it. A marginal inscription on the sides of the stone reads: TRINITAS:INDIVIDUA.SALVA:NOS/.O.PATER. M.N.P.P.ET.I.N.AM.AMEN.1504.BEO.B.GAR/ DIE.LE.G. The final part of the inscription, after the date, is considered to be contracted Irish, meaning 'God be with Gearoid. May the FitzGeralds flourish' (McKenna 1979, 32). (2) The Rice Slab 1622: The surface of this trapezoidal tomb slab is now shattered and the inscription largely illegible. It is carved with a shield bearing arms, quarterly party per pale, engrailed in the 2nd and 3rd a lion rampant. The inscription was read by Smith (1756, 178-9) as: STEPHEN RICE LIES HERE, LATE KNIGHT OF PARLIAMENT, AN HAPPY LIFE/FULL FOURSCORE YEARS FULL VIRTUOUSLY HE SPENT. HIS LOYAL/ WIFE ELLEN TRANT, WHO DIED FIVE YEARS BEFORE HIM LIES HERE/ALSO. LORD GRANT THEM LIFE FOR EVER MORE/MDCXX11/HUIC FUCURRE TUIS VOTIS PIA MATER JESU/INSUPER ADDE TUAS LECTOR AMICE PRECES. (3) The Mullins Slab 1695: This slab now stands erect on the E side of the Lord Ventry sepulchral tomb. Trapezoidal in shape it bears the clearly legible inscription: HERE LYETH THE/BODY OF: FREDER/ICK MULLINS:SON/ AND:HEIRE: OF/FREDERICK. MUL/LINS: OF BURN/HAM: ESQUIR:W/HO:DECEASED/THE:22:DAY:OF/OCTOBER:AN/NO:DOM:1695/AND:THE:31/OF:HIS AGE. (4) This wedge-shaped slab is formed of 2 sections neatly jointed together. The upper surface of the stone is decorated with a raised rectangular pattern embodying a swastika motif and an interlaced curvilinear design. The monument is well preserved but appears to bear no dedication. In the rear garden of a house in Main Street are 3 carved stones, discovered during the construction of an outbuilding in the late 19th century: (1) An irregularly-shaped limestone slab, 1.37m long x .9m high and .09m thick, bordered on its upper edges by cable work in relief. A central panel on the face of the stone contains a design resembling lierne vaulting, executed in false relief. The slab undoubtedly formed section of a sepulchural monument; a tomb surround at Fertagh Church, Co. Kilkenny, which bears similar decoration, has been dated to the period 1510-1540 (Hunt 1974, 1, 167 and 2, pl.276). (2) Two fragments of a chamfered limestone arch, combined span 1.15m; a 3rd fragment discovered simultaneously is now missing (Buckley 1916-18, 261). The stones probably formed section of a round-headed doorway of medieval date. See attached photograph taken from Dunne 2019, 7. The above description is derived from J. Cuppage (compiler) 'Corca Dhuibhne. Dingle Peninsula archaeological survey.' Ballyferriter. Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne (1986), no. 1011. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 30 May 2013