Tullaroan Church — Tullaroan

On a natural NW-SE ridge in undulating terrain, the land rises gently to the N and E and falls to the S and W. A public road runs N-S past the W wall of the rectangular graveyard (KK018-023002-) which is surrounded by pasture. The church is located roughly S of centre in the graveyard. Dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption (Carrigan 1905, vol. 3, 492). The church consists of a nave (dims. c. 11.5m E-W; at least 6.27m E-W; N wall T 0.8m ) and chancel (int. dims. 13.89m E-W; at least 6.37m N-S; S wall T 0.8m) church roughly orientated E-W, with a later chapel added onto the E end of the S wall of the chancel. The church and chapel are constructed of roughly coursed limestone and sandstone rubble. Of the church, only the original S wall of the chancel, the wall dividing nave and chancel and the N wall of the nave survive. The earliest phase of the church is the chancel which has a 13th-century double cinquefoil sedillia, at the E end of the S wall, and immediately W of this are the lower jambs, with a roll-moulding, of a blocked up window embrasure, the head of which is a fanciful reconstruction. A pointed doorway was inserted into this blocked opening to give access to the S chapel. The wall dividing the nave and chancel has a 15th-century chancel arch with a single-light ogee-headed window with glazing-bar holes on either side. There is one flat-headed single light window in the N wall of the nave. The S chapel (int. dims. 11.66m N-S; 5.67m E-W) was added in 1543 by Sir John Grace family (Killanin and Duignan 1967, 283). The main doorway, at the N end of the W wall, it is elaborately moulded with a Tudor rose and vine-leaf and grape motifs around the pointed-arch head and a larger vine-leaf finial. The doorway is flanked by triangular pilasters with heavy crocket pinnacles. Inserted above the doorway is a lion rampant, the heraldic device of the Grace family and this is flanked on either side, in an asymmetrical fashion, by two plaques which appear contemporary, both bearing a latin inscription in raised black letter script, that to the S bears the date 1543. A rather crude hood-moulding overhead appears to have been inserted by the OPW to protect the doorway. Another doorway, mentioned above, gave access from the chapel into the chancel. The chapel was lit by a two-light elliptical-headed window in the S gable, a single-light elliptical-headed window in the W wall and two single-light ogee-headed windows in the E wall, all with external hood-mouldings. At the apex of the S gable there is a quatrefoil window with glazing-bar holes. Associated with the church are three graveslabs (KK018-032004-; KK018-032007-; KK018-032008-)and two chest tombs (KK018-032005-; KK018-032006-). (National Monument no. 670). Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 16 January 2017