New Church (in ruins) — Loughgur

National Monument standing in NW quadrant of rectangular shaped graveyard overlooking the S shoreline of Lough Gur 50m to N. Well preserved ruins of a rectangular (LI032-024002-) multi-period church with belfry on W gable and destroyed sacristy (approx. ext. dims. 5.4m E-W x 3.1m N-S) on NE angle. The church was probably built in the late 15th/16th century as a chapel of ease for the Earl of Desmonds residing in the medieval castle (LI032-022034-) at Lough Gur located 1.1km to the NNE. The medieval church was substantially modified in the late 17th century by the Countess of Bath who rebuilt the E and W ends of the medieval building around 1679. During this rebuilding phase a small square-shaped sacristy was built onto the NE angle of the church, a belfry was added to the W gable and a six-light transom and mullioned window now destroyed was inserted into the S wall. Photograph of 1903 (Barry 1903, 195) shows ruins of church before it was restored in the early 1900s by the Count De Salis who repointed the walls and inserted a glazed plaque of the Madonna and Child over the S doorway of the church (O’Kelly 1944, 30). Present remains consist of a rectangular church (ext. dims. 19.3m E-W; 8.85m N-S; wall T 1.15m) entered through a pointed doorway (Wth 1.04m; H 1.9m) of late medieval date located off centre to W in S wall with blocked up doorway opposite in N wall. The walls of the church are built with rubble masonry with alternating long and short cut limestone quoins. A base batter is visible on the E gable of the church. A large gap at the W end of the S wall represents the remains of a collapsed window opening. Directly inside the doorway in the S wall are the remains of a flat-headed aumbry or wall cupboard (dims. 0.7m Wth x 0.86m H x 0.44m D) with lime plastered interior. Good evidence of internal lime render visible on N, S and E wall of church. To the E of the doorway in the S wall are the remains of a broken out six-light transom and mullioned window of 17th century date that was described in 1840. At the E end of the S wall are the remains of a late medieval single light ogee-headed window with hood-moulding above. In the centre of the E wall there is a late medieval twin-light traceried window with glazing groove set into a round-headed window embrasure with cut stone surround. The window is now missing its tracery and central mullion with two hanging-eyes visible which carried a twin leaf wooden shutter. The external face of the E gable displays ribbon pointing which probably dates from the repair work carried out in the early 1900s by the landlord Sir John Francis Charles de Salis, 7th Count de Salis who was born in Hillingdon, Middlesex, England and resided for a time at Grange Hill (Lough Gur House), Co. Limerick. A burial vault of post-medieval date has been inserted into the SE corner of the church cutting across the late medieval ogee-headed window. Directly across in the NE corner of the church, a second vaulted mausoleum has been inserted. This mausoleum was rebuilt by Richard Ievers of Greenpark, Bruff for his wife Elizabeth who died in 1825. The vaulted structure was built across the flat-headed doorway which gave access to the sacristy on the NE angle of the church. The dressed coping stones of the A-shaped sacristy roof are clearly visible protruding from the external face of the N wall of the church. A doorway embrasure in the centre of the N has been blocked up by the insertion of a memorial plaque of Anne Croker alias Devine who died in 1846. A window opening appears to have been blocked up at the W end of the N when a burial plot was inserted into this corner. A late medieval single light round-headed window with glazing groove is visible in the centre of the W wall with a round-headed belfry rising from the apex of the gable. In 1840 the Ordnance Survey Letters recorded the following about the church; ‘It is well built and measures on the inside 56 ft. 6 in. [17.2m] in length and 21 ft. 6 in. [6.5m] in breadth. The window in the east gable is semi-circular at top and measures on the inside 10 feet [3m] in height and 5 ft.6 in. [1.7m] in width; and on the outside 7 ft. 11 in. [2.4m] in height and 2 ft. 2½ in. [0.7m] in width; on the outside it is divided into two compartments (each division being pointed at top and 11 inches in width) is placed at the height of 8 feet [2.4m] from the ground. All this window is built of cut lime stones. At the distance of 3 feet [0.9m] from the east gable the south wall contains a window which is rectangular on the inside and pointed on the outside. On the inside it measures 5 feet [1.5m] in height and 3 ft. [0.9m] in width and on the outside 3ft. 5 in. [1m] in height and 6 inches [0.15m] in width. It is constructed of cut limestone on the outside. At the distance of 7 ft. 4 in. [2.25m] from this window the same wall contains another window of much larger dimensions; it is disfigured on the inside but in tolerable preservation on the outside where it is of an oblong quadrangular form measuring 5 ft. 7 in. [1.7m] by 4 ft. 6 in. [1.4m]. It is divided into six compartments each measuring 1 ft. 4in. [0.4m] in width. The doorway is placed on the same [south] wall at the distance of 21 ft. 7in. [6.6m] from the west gable. It measures on the inside 7 ft. 2in. [2.2m] in height and 4 ft. 3in. [1.3m] in width, and on the outside 6ft. 4in. [1.9m] in height and 3ft. 5in. [1m] in width; on the inside this doorway forms a flat arch and on the outside a round one, and is built of cut limestone on both side. Between the doorway and the west gable and placed within 8 feet [2.4m] of the latter there was a large window but it is now reduced to a formless breach in the wall. The west gable is surmounted with a round Belfry consisting of one round arch and also a small window place at the height of 10 feet [3m] from the ground and measuring on the outside about 4 feet [1.2m] in height and 7 inches [0.17m] in width. It is quadrangular on the inside and round headed on the outside. The walls of this church are about 12 feet [3.65m] high and exactly 4 feet [1.2m] thick and built of stones of a regular size cemented with lime and sand mortar. There is a large graveyard [LI032-024001-] attached to this church but not much in use at present’(RIA MSS 14/D/18/14(iv)). According to Fitzgerald and McGregor (1826, 311) the Countess of bath ‘built a very handsome chapel of ease, called new Church, on the S side of the lake; she also granted an endowment of £20 sterling per annum, which is in the gift of the Count de Salis, to whom the estate belongs in right of his mother, a daughter of Lord Fane. The chalice and patten which the Countess of Bath bestowed on this chapel are now in the parish church of Knockaney [now Emly], and on them is the following inscription; “The gift of the Right Hon. Rachel, Countess Dowager of Bath to her Chapel in the Kingdom of Ireland, Ann. Dom. 1679”. Barry (1903, 195) suggested that the church was a chapel of ease built by the Desmond family of Lough Gur Castle and contemporaneous with the medieval tower house (LI032-022034-). Westropp (1904-5, 448-9) also suggested that the church was first built in the medieval period and rebuilt c. 1679. He recorded the following about the chapel; ‘It is usually stated that it was "founded by Rachel, widow of Henry, Earl of Bath," 1679 ; but the chapel is shown in the map of 1590 (probably by Jobson ; it is 56 of the Hardiman set, T.C.D.)’. To see a 3D model of the church doorway, visit; https://skfb.ly/oyTUI Compiled by: Caimin O’Brien Date of upload: 9 July 2018