Church (in Rns) — Adamswood

Medieval church at Croagh described in medieval documents as the church of Moyncroo/Maycroo/Croch (Begley 1906, 164; Westropp 1904-5, 374,412). In 1840 the Ordnance Survey recorded that the ‘old church of this Parish was originally of the form of a cross, but it is now all in ruins except the choir or chancel, which is roofed and still used as the Protestant Church of the Parish. This part is fifty three feet [16.15m] in length. The nave is unroofed and fifty feet [15.25m] in length by thirty [9.15m] in breadth. There was a Castle (LI020-123001-) attached to this church at the west end but only its east side and four feet [1.2m] of the north and south walls to the height of about thirty feet [9.15m] remain’ (OSL, 133). Croagh Church ruins described in the Urban Survey of Co. Limerick as following; 'The advowson of this church appears to have been granted originally to the abbey of Athassel because in 1239 the prior surrendered all claim on the church to the bishop of Limerick (MacCaffrey 1907, 98-9). There are indications, however, that the controversy continued into the second half of the thirteenth century (ibid. 109-10). This ruined church, overgrown with ivy, originally consisted of a nave and chancel with transepts and west tower. The transepts were subsequently demolished and the arches blocked up. Later, possibly in the seventeenth/eighteenth century, a crossing wall was inserted to the west of the transepts and the east end re-roofed. Limestone rubble is used throughout with limestone window jambs. The east gable stands to a height of c. 6m and is incomplete while the west gable is 6.5m-7m high. The side walls are c. 5m high while the interior is built up to the base of a piscina at the east end of the chancel. The east wall is now featureless and the original window appears to have been completely removed and brick surrounds inserted when the church was remodelled. There is a small recess in the north side of the wall. Much of the wall facing in the north wall of the chancel is missing but there may have been some wall recesses. There is a round arched opening in the chancel end of the wall, which may have been a doorway, and two single-light round arched windows and a round arched doorway in the nave. The eastern window has some red sandstone in the arch as has the doorway. There is a small rectangular flat arched opening towards the east end of the south wall which may have been inserted into an earlier wall niche. Close to this there is a pointed recess with decorated piscina with large central drainage hole. To the west of this there is a round arched doorway with round headed hood mould and concave moulded jambs externally. Flanking this door are, a twin-light ogee-headed window with rectangular hood-moulding with hollow spandrels to the east and a similar but single-light ogee-headed window to the west. In the nave there are two further narrow pointed windows with flat or rounded rear arches; the jambs and rear arch of the western one are of red sandstone. Close to the west end there is a broken opening. Only short fragments of the north and south walls of the tower remain. It was barrel-vaulted over the ground floor and splays for windows survive in the north and south walls. The first floor had a window looking into the church and a wall recess in the north wall. Two corbels for the support of a third floor/roof survive in the north wall' (Bradley et. al. 1989, 112-14). In 1906 the following details were recorded about Croagh Church; 'The church of Croagh is a prebend, and hath a vicar. The presentation belongs to the Earl of Desmond. This old church is often mentioned in the thirteenth century under the name Mayncroo, and hath a chapel Lismuck now Lisnamuck. The ruins of the old church of Croagh are to be seen near the present village of that name. The church was cruciform in shape, and had been used as a Protestant church (Begley 1906, 271). Westropp recorded the following details about Croagh; 'Croch, 1291; Crothewe, 1302; the vicarage of Croagh, in Com Lym, and the manors of Crogh and Inyskyfty, taken into the hands of our Lord the King, 1305 (Plea R.,191 of xxxiii Ed. L), suit of Jordan Cotel v. Robert and Isolda Lovelynch about lands in Crogh, 1317 (Mem. R,, vol. ii., m. 14) ; Croth, 1418 and 1452 (rental); Fabric - It lay in Adamstown, and was cruciform; the chancel and nave both 50 feet [15.25m] by 30 feet [9.15m]; the former still in use. Tobereendowney well was in Ballinveara (O.S.L., 9, p. 437) Compiled by: Denis Power Revised by: Caimin O'Brien Date of revised upload: 10 December 2018