Rosconnell Church (in ruins) — Castlemarket

On flat ground in generally undulating terrain, the Owenbeg River is c. 50m downslope to the N. A nave (int. dims. L 16.12m; Wth 6.12m; wall T 0.81-0.84m) and chancel (int. dims. L 11.59m; Wth 5.64m; wall T 0.89-0.9m) church located in the NE angle of a roughly sub-rectangular graveyard (KK001-005002-). It is built of limestone rubble, roughly coursed with well-cut quoins. There is a slight base-batter (H 1.25m; D 0.15m) at the E end of the N wall of the nave. The church was extensively reconstructed by FÁS between 1984-7 and further landscaping work and stone recording was carried out in 2005-06. Carrigan (1905, vol. 2, 110-13) gives the dedication of this parish church to the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin. He states that between 1194 and 1224 William St. Leger granted to the Abbey of St. Thomas's, Dublin, 'six carucates of his land at Rosconin (Rossconnell)' which was confirmed in 1224 and leased in 1230 (ibid.). However, Carrigan points out that the parish of Rossconnell was not appropriated to St. Thomas's but that, 'from the Red Book of Ossory it appears that its presentation was in the hands of the Bishops of the Diocese' (ibid.). According to the OS Letters (O’Flanagan 1930, vol. 1, 78-82) in 1839 the W gable, now largely rebuilt, was completely levelled, however, the gable containing the chancel arch, now gone, still survived and is described as, ‘an arch way in the middle gable eleven feet wide [c. 3.35m] and about eleven high, of which the arch makes five feet [c. 1.5m]; all built of well cut stone’. However, about 60 years later Carrigan (1905, vol. 2, 110-13) states that the ‘choir arch has been long destroyed’. Only the lower portions of the N and S wall (T 0.88m) of this chancel arch survive and a sculptured head has been inserted into the NE angle of the S. The chancel was lit by a triple-light trefoil-headed window in the E gable within a round-arched embrasure, and two flat-headed windows, one in the N and one in the S wall. Externally the E window is flanked on either side by a sculptured head. The windows in the chancel date to the 13th century. There are roughly opposing doorways into the chancel, unusual in a parish church, however, these may be later 17th-century inserts, as indicated on an external plaque (KK001-005003-) over the S doorway which commemorates the rebuilding of the church to 1646. The S door is a narrow pointed doorway, while that in the N wall is blocked up. According to a modern information plaque the church was destroyed in 1650 by Cromwellian forces. The original portion of the N wall of the chancel is 2.9m high, above which the wall has been reconstructed to give a total height of 4.3m. The nave is long, the masonry at the E end of the N wall appears to be 15th century in date. At the E end of the N wall there is a two-light window, the head and mullion of which are missing, the external box surround has a double chamfer and though the head and its hood-moulding are missing the drop labels survive. Further W there is a single-light ogee-headed window with hollow spandrels, dressed with punch tooling and plain margins. Towards the W end of the N wall there is a large reconstructed doorway (Wth 1.55m), it is totally rebuilt as is much of the surrounding wall and the W gable. There is evidence of an opening (Wth 1.41m) opposite this in the N wall, which is blocked up and not visible externally. In the N wall some very large stones have been used in its construction. There is no evidence of a window, however, there are the remains of a large opening (Wth 4.8m), perhaps into a side chapel. Only the W end of the arch survives and the lower jambs of the E side. The arch was subsequently blocked up when a smaller arched opening, perhaps a doorway was inserted, only the W jamb and springer for this arch survive, the base of this opening is 0.53m above internal ground level. A number of architectural fragments were re-used in the 1980s reconstruction work, including a worn sculptured head re-used as a quoin in the SE angle of the chancel. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 7 June 2016