Church (in Rns) — Kilfinnane

The medieval parish church of Kilfinnane, dedicated to St. Andrew the Apostle, whose feastday falls on the 30th of November, lies in the parish of Kilfinnane, medieval deanery of Kilmallock (Killocia), in the diocese of Limerick and the barony of Coshlea (Cois Sléibhe). In 1302-06, the Papal Taxation of the Diocese of Limerick valued the 'Church de Kylfynan' located in the Deanery of 'Killocia' (Kilmallock) at 8 marks per annum with the tenth valued at 10s. 8d. (Cal. doc. Ire., Vol. 5, 272). In 1418 the church taxation of the Deanery of Kilmallock recorded the following details about Kilfinnane Church; 'Rectoria ecclesie de Kylfinan abbas de Insula Molanfaid [Molana Abbey, Co. Waterford, WA037-011001-] habet vicarium quem presentat heres Domini George de Rupe. (The rectory of the church of Kilfinnane belongs to the abbot of the island of Molanfaid (an island in the river Blackwater near Youghal), and hath a vicar which the heir of George Roche presents.) The Protestant church now occupies the ancient site. It was dedicated to St. Andrew, 30th of November' (Begley 1906, 257). The 1654-56 Down Survey map of Kilfinnane parish shows a tower house (LI048-057----) standing adjacent to a medieval road and to the W of the ruins of Kilfinnane (Chill Fhíonáin/the church of Fíonán) parish church and glebe land (NLI, MS 718). The terrier of the 1654-56 Down Survey parish map of Kilfinnane recorded that the parish 'hath also the convenience of a Markett at Kilfinane where is a good Castle and the walls of a Church and an Irish Towne' (NLI, MS 718). Around the middle of the 17th century Reverend Dr. Jasper White, pastor of St. John's Parish compiled a manuscript on the taxation of churches in the diocese of Limerick to which he added the list of patron saints and their feastday's. For the Deanery of Kilmallock he recorded the following details about Kilfinnane; 'The church of Kelifinny, or Keilfinine, dedicated to St. Andrew, Apostle, 30th day of November' valued at 10s. (Lenihan 1866, 560). Multi-period church ruins stands in centre of large polygonal shaped graveyard with town house property boundaries forming S side of graveyard boundary wall. The church ruins and graveyard stands on NE edge of the historic town of Kilfinnane (LI048-127----) with Kilfinnane Castle (LI048-057----) to the W. The 9th century Kilfinnane brooch discovered at 'Kilfinan Abbey, Co. Limerick', may have been found in this church and graveyard although it has been suggested that it was discovered on the site of St. Andrew's R.C. Church located 70m to the NW (Ó Floinn 1993, 10). In 1837 it was recorded that 'the church was rebuilt in 1760, and is a large plain edifice' (Lewis 1837, Vol. 2, 94). Present remains consist of a long rectangular building (ext. dims. 23m E-W x 10.5m N-S; wall T 0.88m) aligned E-W with flat-headed bell-cote on apex of W gable, triple light round-headed limestone window below at first floor level, and brick-arched doorway in centre of W gable, 4 round-headed windows (Wth 1.06m x H 1.85m) in S wall, large broken out window (Wth 2.05m) in E gable and no windows visible in N wall. The N wall is supported by three large buttresses (Wth 0.9m; H 3.1m-0.2m; L 2.6m) with sloping top, running out from the external face of the N wall. The medieval parish church of Kilfinnane was modified c. 1760 when four round-headed windows with cut sandstone voussoirs and impost courses were inserted into the S wall replacing the narrower medieval windows, these new windows are similar in style to the mid-18th century Market House of Kilfinnane town located 170m to the SW. The larger window (Wth 1.3m) at the W end of the S wall may have been inserted into the doorway (Wth 2.1m) of the earlier church which was then moved to the centre of the W gable. A large sandstone window (Wth 2.05m) was inserted into the centre of the E gable during these alterations to the church fabric. A projecting string course is visible running along the top of the S wall. A large crack is visible running up the external face of N wall at W end 1m from the NW angle of the church. The triple-light round-headed window at first floor level in the centre of the W wall possibly provided light for a two storey priests residence at W end of church. Wooden beam holes visible in the inner face of the W gable beneath the window may supported a wooden floor of a priests residence rather than that of a gallery. Putlog holes are visible in the external face of the W and E gables. The interior of the church is now inaccessible and is covered with trees and other scrub vegetation. Architectural fragments including the head of a traceried window from the medieval church have been reused as grave markers and are visible in the graveyard to the W and S of the church. Westropp (1904-5, 427) recorded the following details about Kilfinnane Church which was dedicated to St. Andrew; 'Kylfynan, 1291; Kilfennan, 1302; Keilfinny, or Keilfinnane, dedicated to St. Andrew, 30th Nov., 1410. "Kylfinan, the rector is the Abbot of Insula Molanfert", 1418. "It is accommodated with good trouts and eles by ye river Garagh, and it hath also the convenience of a markett at Kilfinane, where is a good castle [LI048-057----], and the walls of a church, and an Irish Towne [LI056-024----]", 1655-7 (D. S. (A), p. 59). Fabric - The I. C. church is on the ancient site, near the great triple-ringed mote [LI056-024----]. The name of Kilfinnane is Drum Fighin in the "Book of Rights," ante 900, given with Treada na Riogh, the triple fort.' See attached Down Survey parish map. Compiled and revised by: Caimin O'Brien Date of revised upload: 25 February 2022