St Columbas Ch (Disused) — Durrow Demesne

National Monument No. 313. In centre of graveyard, a late medieval church (ext. dims. 21m E-W; 8m N-S) which according to Davies (1942) was mainly rebuilt in 1802. The W doorway with its flat head, scroll brackets, scroll keystone with three urns over door indicates a late 17th/early 18th-century date for its erection. The interior was inaccessible due to the dangerous condition of the church. On the floor just inside the door there is a late medieval graveslab (OF009-005017) dated 1665 and carved pear shaped head (OF009-005018) with bulging eyes, pursed lips and undulating cheeks on the W wall (Davies 1942). The graveyard contains a well preserved 10th century high cross (Nat. Mon.) and several early Christian cross-slabs (De Courcy Williams 1897) now incorporated into the graveyard wall to the W of the church. There is a small rectangular shaped stone (H 0.6m) which tapers towards the top with rectangular socket (0.2m by 0.25m) presumably the base of a small cross. A small cross which was on the E gable and now in the Nat. Museum may belong to the above cross socket (De Courcy Williams 1897, 128-9). No surface trace of ecclesiastical enclosure (OF009-005003-) (Orpen 1907, 140) or Augustinian abbey (Hadcock 1964, 128). (Crawford 1913, 262-65; Lionard 1961, 95-169; Moran 1966, 289; Harbison 1972, 205-6; Barrow 1979, 176) A monastery was founded at Durrow reputedly by Colum Cille [of the church] who died in 597 and whose feastday is celebrated on the 9th of June (Ó Riain 2011, 213-14). He established a monastery at Iona in Scotland and is the earliest known founder of a church outside of Ireland (ibid., 212). Over sixty churches claim to have been founded by Colum Cille many of which have no historical documentation to support their claim (ibid., 213). The present late 18th century C of I church (OF009-005013-) standing in the SE quadrant of the graveyard was probably built or incorporated fabric of the medieval parish church of Durrow which in turn was probably built on the site of the Augustinian Abbey church founded in the 12th century. The Augustinian abbey dedicated to St Mary was founded in the 1140s by Murchadh Ua Maoil Sheachlainn, high king of Midhe, who died at Durrow in 1153 (Ó Riain 2011, 67; Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 174). In 1541 the Abbey was converted into a parish church and was restored in the 17th and 18th centuries and once more in 1802. Bishop Dopping’s Visitation Book of 1682-85 described the church at Durrow as ‘a parochial church belonging to the Monastery of Durrow. Church and chancel ill repaired [Lately in repair but much out of order by the troubles (1693)]’ (Ellison 1975, 4-5). The Visitation book goes on to state the church contained a ‘reading desk and pulpit but no font. A table but not railed, no carpet, cloth chalice or flagon’(ibid., 5). The church in 1682-5 possessed no bells, it had two windows that were glazed, a clay floor and a shingled roof (ibid. 5). The churchyard or graveyard (OF009-005009-) in 1682-5 was at that time enclosed or ‘fenced’ in by a stone wall (ibid., 5). According to the Parliamentary Gazetteer of Ireland of 1844-45, St. Columba’s C. of I. church at Durrow was ‘built many years ago at the private expense of Mrs. Fox’ (Anon 1846, 166). Reverend De Courcy Williams (1897, 143) recorded that in 1733 the parish church of Durrow was out of repair and Mrs Frances Fox who was the daughter and heiress of Sir Edward Herbert of Durrow ‘pulled the church down and rebuilt it at her own expense’. In the SE quadrant of Durrow graveyard (OF009-005009-), a late 18th century church (ext. dims. 21m E-W; 8m N-S) probably built on the site of or incorporates fabric of the medieval church which according to Davies (ITA Survey 1942) was mainly rebuilt in 1802. The W doorway with its flat head, scroll brackets, scroll keystone with three urns over the door indicates a late 17th/early 18th-century date for its construction. The church has been recently converted into a heritage centre by the OPW and now houses the Durrow high cross which formerly sttod in the graveyard to the W of the church. During these conservation works a 17th-century graveslab (OF009-005017-) dated 1665 was moved from inside the church and is now located up against the inner face of the N wall of the graveyard. The remains of a carved pear shaped head (OF009-005018-) with bulging eyes, pursed lips and undulating cheeks can be seen high up on the external face of the W wall of the church (ITA Survey 1942). The graveyard contained several early Christian cross-slabs (OF009-005015-/020-) that have been moved inside the church and mounted on the internal face of the S wall. A small cross which was on the E gable of the church is now housed in the National Museum may belong to the above cross socket (De Courcy Williams 1897, 128-9). No surface remains visible of the ecclesiastical enclosure (OF009-005003-) (Orpen 1907, 140) or of the 12th century Augustinian abbey which may have been located inside Durrow graveyard (Hadcock 1964, 128). In 2006 limited excavations were undertaken by Tracy Collins of Aegis Archaeology Ltd at Durrow under licence No. CO02, E3161, as part of the ongoing conservation works at the national monument, on behalf of the OPW. Three areas were investigated. Two were dug around the church in order to facilitate the rendering of the structure and ducting. The third area was around where the high cross had stood. (It was moved for conservation reasons inside the church structure.) Nothing of an archaeological nature was discovered in the first two areas; two skeletons were left preserved in situ. An area around where the cross had stood measuring 5m by 5m was opened to address the following research questions: Was the cross in its original position? What was it sitting on? Was there an earlier cross? Further information was required on the context of a cross slab excavated by De Paor in 1954: did it cover a grave, for instance? The excavation around the cross site showed that burial had occurred to the north, south and east of the cross base. Seventeen individuals were excavated, along with much disarticulated remains. Initial examination suggests that all the burials were late in date, probably none earlier than the 18th century. The cross appears to have been in its original (early medieval) position, in that all burials respected the location of the cross base. The cross rested on a layer of redeposited boulder clay, which contained a few fragments of animal bone. There was no evidence of an earlier timber cross at this location, nor was there any evidence of burial beneath the cross. The excavation results would suggest that the cross slab found by De Paor did not cover a specific grave but may have been placed to the east of the cross in order to ‘close’ that area from any further burial – perhaps placed there in the 19th century. Finds from the excavation included coffin nails and fittings, holy medals and a few shroud pins. Nothing of clearly early medieval date was recovered. A series of radiocarbon dates is proposed for the site, including the animal bone fragments recovered from beneath the cross base, which should provide a firm sequence for burial at the site and a date for the redeposited layer beneath the cross (Collins 2009, 449). The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Offaly' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Compiled by Caimin O'Brien Date of upload/revision: 07 November 2011