Church (in ruins) — Magheross

Situated on a bluff overlooking the valley of a small NNW-SSE stream, c. 100m to the NE. It is identified as the early church of Cell-rois in Feara-rois (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 375) and the deaths of abbots of Feara-Rois are recorded in AD 825 and 845 (AFM), but this identification is not certain. The original parish church of Magheross is listed as Ros in the ecclesiastical taxation (1302-06) of Pope Nicholas IV (Cal. doc. Ire, 5, 212), and at the Suppression of the monasteries in 1540 the tithes were largely impropriate to the Crutched friars (LH017-101022-) of Ardee (White 1943, 225). The church was described as standing but not repaired in 1622 and from 1629-1766 it was united with the parish of Kilskeery in Co. Tyrone (Leslie 1929, 30, 222-4). An Inscription over the doorway in the W wall of the present structure states 'this church was ruined in the Rebellion of 1641 and rebuilt in the year 1682'. The Church of Ireland parish church moved to its present location c. 300m to the N on the Main St. of Carrickmacross in 1779 (Shirley 1879, 361). (McKenna 1920, 1, 455-73) This church is a rectangular building (ext. dims 21.5m E-W; 9.1m N-S; int. dims 19.9m E-W; 7.45m N-S) with a well-preserved square tower (ext. dims 3.95m N-S; 3.2m) attached as a secondary feature at the W end. The walls survive fairly well (H 3m), apart from the window openings, of which there are two large ones on the N wall, and two equally large but not opposed windows on the S wall. In addition the S wall has a narrower window towards the E end and there are cupboards towards the E end of the N wall and S end of the E wall. There is a large window opening, now pointed but probably rounded originally, in the E wall, but no dressed stone survives from the windows. The W doorway (Wth 1.33m; H 2.02m) has a flat elliptical arch and dressed surrounds, with the graffiti ‘P 1727’ carved on the external N architrave, but the vandal only managed ‘P 1’ on the S jamb. Overhead is a plaque (Wth 1.13m; H 0.66m) with a legend incised in cursive script describing the church as ruined in 1641 and rebuilt in 1682 (Shirley 1879, 361-2). The tower has a round-headed doorway (Wth 1.14m; H 2.02m) in the N wall with a niche above for a plaque which is missing, and internally there are brick-arched recesses on each wall. The joists for the first floor were set into the N and S walls and the floor would have obscured the plaque on the W wall of the church. The first floor has a doorway on the S side to facilitate bell-ringers. There are no further floors but a second level is featureless and the belfry stage has four narrow elliptical-headed openings and an external string-course. A corbelled spire rises over the crenelations of an inaccessible parapet, and the beam from which the bell would have been suspended is in place beneath the spire. The church is in a circular graveyard (diam. c. 50m) defined by masonry walls with an added wedge at NW connecting it to Magheross Road and the entrance gateway, which is kept locked but the key is held at the council building c. 300m to the ESE. The headstones date from c. 1750 - c. 1850, but the graveslab dated 1664 that was SE of the church (Shelly 2007, 5) is no longer present or was not noted in 2016. The graveslab of John Carver dated 1711 is in the church and just E of the Carver slab is the graveslab (Wth 0.93m; L 1.93m) of John Daniell with a crest and the date 1681. This stone is illegible now but the inscription was recorded by Shirley (1879, 363). A headstone in the graveyard that was probably a late medieval churchyard cross (ibid. 367; ITA Survey 1942) is no longer present. There is a bullaun stone (ext. diam. 0.42-0.45m; H 0.33m plus) with a single basin (diam. 0.29m; D 0.2-0.24m) in the graveyard beside the path to the church. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Monaghan' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1986). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of revision: 1 December 2016