Church in Croom

Croom Church described in the Urban Survey of Limerick as following; 'The present church is a nineteenth century structure but the south door appears to be a re-used 16th/17th century door. The lower parts of the jambs are decorated with vertebrate tulip stems' (Bradley et. al. 1989, 121). Westropp (1904-5, 383) recorded the following details about Croom; 'A parish in Coshmagh and Pubblebrian. Cromadh, chief seat of the "Ui Cairbre Aobhdha, burned by Torlough O'Conor, 1151 (A.F.M.) ; Crumech Castle and lands, held by Maurice Fitzgerald, 1215 (Pat. R. England, xvii John) ; Cromuch, and Cromych Church, 1291 ; Crometh, 1302. The lands were the portion of Basilia Thursteyn, 1323 (Plea R. 147 of xvii Ed. II, m. 4). John Route was parson of Cromut, 1376 (Mem. R.); Thomas Hunter was rector, 1408 (Pat. R.); Thady O'Muleran (Mulrian), 1550; Irwen (or William) Hurley, 1551 (Lib. M. H. ii., pp. 97, 9, 8); Donald Kean, or Rean (Mulrian), rector of Cromye, vacant by death of Thady Kean, or Rean, and late usurped by William O'Hurnley, 1552 (Fiant 1159); Cromothe, 1581. Site - The I. C. church is on the old site. Map. D.S. (B.), p. 24, 1657'. Late 18th century Church of Ireland structure described by the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage as a; 'Freestanding Board of First Fruits Church of Ireland church, built c. 1780, having three-bay nave, slightly recessed single-bay chancel dating to 1868, single-bay vestry to north-east and three-stage square-plan tower to west. Now disused. Samuel Johnson in 1837 wrote that 'The church stands on the western bank of the river Maigue, and is a small neat edifice, in the early English style of architecture, with a square tower: it appears to have been erected on the site of a larger building, and the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have recently granted £151. 2. 1. for its repair' (www.buildingsofireland.ie; Reg. No. 21828003). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 28 January 2019