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National Monument No. 126. The earliest church building in the town of Roscrea is the twelfth-century church dedicated to St Cronán located directly opposite the round tower (TN012-010005-) and adjacent to the twelfth-century high cross (TN012-010006-). The Royal Visitation of 1615 described the building as a 'church and chancell downe' (Murphy 1914, 222). The church was in good repair and used for service until 1812 when it was largely demolished with only the W gable (ext. dims. 33ft (10m) N-S) and a short section of the nave surviving (Gleeson 1915, vol. 2, 370; Harbison 1970, 235). The highly decorated W gable consists of a central round-arched triple-ordered decorated doorway flanked on either side by two round-arched blind arcades. Over the doorway there is a triangular-shaped pediment containing a full-length figure with a rosette on either side. There appears to have been several more rosettes but unfortunately due to decay these have disappeared (Harbison 1970, 235). Triangular-shaped pediments decorated with chevron decoration exist over the blind arcades. Moulded antae project from the gable. At a later stage a bellcote was constructed on the apex of the gable.
The above description is derived from 'The Archaeological Inventory of County Tipperary. Vol. 1 - North Tipperary' compiled by Jean Farrelly and Caimin O'Brien (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2002). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.
Date of upload/revision: 22 September 2008
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