Church (in ruins) — Carrigeen (coshma By.)

National monument No. 83. Dysert Aenghusa (Diseart Aonghasa) was a monastery belonging to the 'Céile Dé' or 'Client of God' (Ó Carragáin 2010, 308). The monastery was dedicated to St. Aonghas who is also associated with Dyasrtenos (LA013-059001-), Co. Laois (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 383). In the year 1033 the Annals of the Four Masters recorded the death of ‘Conn, son of Maelpadraig, airchinnech [erenagh] of Mungairit [Mungret] and Disert-Oenghusa [Aonghasa]’ (O’Donovan 1856, 827). This reference links the monastery of Mungret (LI013-009001-), Co. Limerick located 13km to the NNE with Dysert-Aonghasa. This Aonghas appears to have been the Aonghas of Tallaght monastery (DU021-037002-) who wrote the metrical martyrology known as Féilire Aonghasa (Ó Riain 2011, 79). The preface added to the Féilire Aonghasa in the late twelfth century recorded details in his life which bring him from a church named after him at Dysert (Diseart Aonghasa), to Coolbanagher (Cúil Bheannchair) (LA008-014001-), a little north of Dysartenos (Diseart Aonghasa), in Laois, where he allegedly began his metrical martyrology, and finally to Tallaght, where he finished the Féilire Aonghasa (ibid.). Aonghas was reputedly buried at Clonenagh (LA017-003001-), Co. Laois, after his death some time between 815-830, his feast day was the 11th of March (Stokes 1905, xxvi). Present remains consist of a multi-period church with round tower (LI030-018004-) immediately to N with graveyard (LI030-018003-) to S of church as depicted on the 1st ed. OS 6-inch map. Dysert Church was described in 1826 as measuring ‘fifty feet [15.25m] long by twenty-five [7.6m] broad, built with the same kind of stone, and from every appearance both seem to have been erected at the same time; the doors and windows of the church are also constructed of large square blocks of red grit. The entire was surrounded with a strong square wall, parts of which still remain’ (Fitzgerald 1826, 332). Shortly afterwards in 1840 the Ordnance Survey letters described the old church of Dysart as following; ‘It is 53ft 6in. [16.3m] in length and 17ft. 3in. [5.25m] in breadth on the inside and its side walls are about 14 feet high [4.26m] and from 2ft 10 in. [0.86m] to 3 ft. [0.91m] thick, and built of enormous blocks of limestone laid in pretty regular courses. The building is not divided into nave and choir. The east gable is in tolerably good preservation but is so clothed with ivy that I could not see its window, if it have any, which is to be doubted. The west gable is also up, but contains no feature but a large quadrangular window nearly disfigured and its sides so covered with ivy that I could not see how it is built . At the distance of 11ft. 6in. [3.5m] from the east gable the south wall contained a window which is reduced to a formless breach. At the distance of 21 ft. [6.4m] from the west gable the east side of the doorway and a fragment of its lintel are to be seen but the rest of it is destroyed, there being a large breach in the wall here. The side of the doorway is built of blocks of red sandstone and is 6 ft. 3½ in. [1.9m] in depth and extending the entire thickness of the wall (2ft.11in.) [0.89m]. There is a large breach in the north wall nearly opposite the one in the south wall’ (RIA MS 14/D/18/11 (i), 189-90). In 1865 Dysert was described as a church 'built of limestone, and has been much repaired; but a portion of the walls, together with the doorway, appear to be part of the original structure. This portion contains some large stones, their dimensions being from 2 to 3ft. [0.6-0.9m] in length and width; they do not run through the wall, but are used as facings on each side, and are filled in with grouting in the centre. The length of the Church internally is 54ft. [16.45m], the breadth 18ft. [5.5m], and the thickness of the walls about 3ft. [0.9m]. The doorway is in the south side, 21ft. [6.4m] from the west end. Only one of the jambs remains, which, as is usual in early Irish churches, is slightly inclined, and but one half of the great lintel-stone 1ft. 4 in. [0.4m] thick, which was probably broken by the superincumbent pressure, when the western jamb was removed. This doorway has a flat, slightly projecting band or architrave, 11in. [0.27m] wide, which is not an unusual feature in the old churches. On the lintel the line of architrave is nearly 4in. [0.1m] to the west of its true position, the result most probably of the pressure of ivy, affording a striking instance of the power of this agent in moving so large a stone. The height of the door is 6ft. 5in. [1.95m]. A few years ago, during a gale of wind, the western gable fell down, in consequence apparently of the heavy mass of ivy which had been allowed to remain upon it. The eastern gable has also been rebuilt at some time, comparatively recent, and contains no window' (Dunraven 1865, 212-3). A few years later in 1868 the church was described as: 'A ruined church stands south of the tower (LI030-018004-) at only ten feet [3m] distance. It is a simple rectangle fifty one feet [15.5m] long, and sixteen feet six inches [5m] wide. About twenty-six feet [7.9m] of the side wall, towards the east end, appear to be of some considerable antiquity by the character of the masonry, which is of large-sized rubble work of that peculiar character found in many of our ancient churches of the primitive type. This masonry is not of the same character as that in the tower, the stones being irregular, more polygonal, and not so carefully put together. The remainder of the walls, as well as the east gable, has been rebuilt at a much later period - when, it is impossible to say, as there is no feature in it that would determine its date. The only object worth noticing is a portion of an ancient doorway remaining in the south wall, and consisting of one jamb, and a piece of the lintel. This doorway was quadrangular, with converging jambs. The dressings were of red stone cleanly worked; the lintel was a massive block covering the entire ope the full thickness of wall; the existing jamb is composed of five blocks, each the full depth of wall, which is about three feet [0.9m] in thickness. This doorway is not in the ancient portion of the building, but is in the modern addition. It is more than probable that it was the original west-end entrance of the ancient church, which, on its enlargement, was re-erected in its southern wall. The mutilation of this doorway, the finest of its type which I have yet seen, is greatly to be regretted, as it was evidently done for the sake of the material, the blocks of the left-hand jamb having been picked out of the wall, and the lintel broken in attempting to force it from its position. There are no evidences of interments in or around the church. Some remains of the foundation of a massive wall which once inclosed the precincts of the church and tower are still in existence' (Brash 1868, 60-1). The multi-period church was described by Westropp (1904-05, 385-6) as following; ‘The church and round tower (LI030-018004-) remain in Carrigeen townland, and were in 1827 surrounded by a strong, square cashel (LI030-018001-) (Fitzgerald 1826, 332). The church is 54 feet [16.45m] by 18 feet [5.5m] ; the walls 3½ [1m] feet, part of south wall and the broken door being very massive and old, the door having a flat band round its outer face. The east gable is late (Dunraven says the reverse); the west had a window, but fell, and was rebuilt by Mr. Luke Christy before 1869. The head of a late fifteenth-century window was found’ (Dunraven 1877, 25-6). The monastic foundation, its round tower and church were described by Harbison (1970, 147-8) as following; 'The monastery is first mentioned in history in 1083, when one of its abbots died, but it was probably founded by Oenghus the Culdee, the great reformer who died in 815. The present church is 15th/16th century in date, but it incorporates parts of an older church as c