Decorated stone in Terryglass

Situated on a slight rise of ground in the centre of Terryglass village. An early Christian monastery was founded in Terryglass by St Columb (Colum Mac Cremthainn) in the sixth century (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 45). The church of Tirdaglassoe contributed three marks in the taxation of the diocese in 1302-7 (CDI, vol. 5, 302). The Royal Visitation of 1615 described the church as having a 'covered chancell' (Murphy 1914, 221) but there is no mention of the church itself in the Civil Survey of 1654-6 where it only mentions the 'church yard of Tirraglasse' (Simington 1931, 311). According to local tradition the site of the monastery lies in the present church and graveyard (Carey and Farrelly 1994, 78). The ecclesiastical complex consists of a church (TN006-003003-), a graveyard (TN006-003008-) and a holy well (TN006-003005-), all of which are situated within a possible ecclesiastical enclosure. Also sited within this possible enclosure are a bawn wall (TN006-003004-) immediately E of the church and graveyard and a linear earthwork (TN006-003006-) to the N. A carved stone possibly a voussoir or keystone from Terryglass Church is now housed in the Hunt Museum Limerick (Ref. No. 0000.0416). The stone is decorated with a cross motif in diaper pattern which was found during the demolition of the surrounding graveyard (TN006-003008-) wall and may have been part of an eleventh/twelfth century doorway (Harbison 1967, 108-11). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien. Date of upload/revision: 19 October 2010