Church, (Site of) Church — Monsea

13th century parish church ruins of Monsea (Maigh Saotha/ Plain of the disease?), in the diocese of Killaloe, barony of Lower Ormond stands today in centre of a graveyard (TN020-028002-), situated on a low rise in slightly undulating countryside. The church of 'Magsethi' was listed in the ecclesiastical taxation of the Diocese of Killaloe in 1306 where it was valued at 4 marks per annum with the tithe valued at 5s. 4d.(CDI, vol. 5, 302). In 1405 a papal letter was sent to Robert Okely and John Olongayn, canons, of Killaloe with a mandate to collate and assign Malachy Ohogayn [O’Hogan], clerk, of the diocese of Killaloe, son of a priest and an unmarried woman, to be promoted to all, even holy orders and hold a benefice even with cure, the parish church of Magsege [Monsea], void because Theobald Cantwell, held it for a year and more without having himself ordained priest; although Thady Chabachn, clerk, of the said diocese, who is to be removed, unduly retains possession (Cal. papal letters, vol. 6, 85-6). In 1418, Malachy O'Hogan, rector of Magsaech [Monsea], resigned from his position, as he held the rectory, 'for more than ten years, without having himself ordained priest' (ibid., vol. 7, 52). The 1615 Royal Visitation of the Diocese of Killaloe described the building as a 'church and chancell well' (Murphy and Ormond 1914, 222). The united parishes of Monsea and Dromineer were described in 1654 as follows; 'The Rectories thereof [a]ppr[opr]iat[e] & collative by the Lord Bishopp of Killaloe two p[ar]ts of the same tythes great and smale belonging to the Parsons And the other third part great and smale collative by the Bishopp to the Viccar. The Tythes both great and smale of the sd United Parishes was worth in the yeare 1640 £36. The two p[ar]ts thereof being [a]ppr[opr]iate belonging to the parson & the other belonging to the Viccar' (Simington 1934, 297). The glebe-land of Monsea Church belonging to the vicarage was described in 1654 as; 'one acre & a halfe of the s[ai]d Gleabland being situated on the North side close by the Church Yard of the Church of Musea [Monsea] affores[ai]d lying and being in the two pl[oughlan]ds of Musea & it fenced round w[i]th a ditch and is at pr[e]sent wast' (ibid.). The extent of this glebe land is outlined to the N of the church and graveyard on the 1840 ed. OSi 6-inch map. An upstanding building annotated 'Church' is shown standing on the W end of the medieval church ruins annotated '(Site of) church' on the 1840 ed. OSi 6-inch map. There are no surface remains visible today of the church building annotated 'Monsea Church' which is depicted to the W of the medieval church ruins on the 1901 ed. OSi 25-inch map. Church ruins described by John O'Donovan in 1840 as follows; 'The old Church of this Parish stands in ruins near the modern one about three miles north and by west of Nenagh. It is a building of about three centuries and not divided, as usual, into nave and choir. It measures on the inside sixty feet [18.3m] in length and twenty two feet five inches [6.8m] in breadth, and its side walls are three feet [0.9m] in thickness and about ten feet [3m] in height. The west gable is destroyed down to the height of about eight feet [2.4m] and that part remaining is featureless. The east gable is in tolerable preservation and contains three pointed windows, of which one is near the north east, the other near the south east corner and the other in the middle between them. This one in the middle, is placed lower in the gable than the other two and is constructed of cut limestone while the others are constructed of cut sandstone. The middle one is only six feet eight inches [2m] from the present level of the ground on the outside but the other two are seven feet seven [2.3m] inches from it. It appears, however, that the middle one was remodelled, for its original head is still to be seen over the modern part. The southeast window is five feet seven inches [1.7m] in height and one foot three and a half inches [0.4m]; the middle one as it stands at present is four feet nine inches [1.4m] in height and two feet three inches [0.7m] in width; this was divided into two parts by a stone mullion, which has been taken away. The north east window is five feet seven inches [1.7m] in height and one foot two inches [0.35m] in width. The cut stone is a good deal injured and roughened by the weather, but still the work is not ancient. At the distance of seven feet five inches [1.7m] from the east gable, the south wall contains a small pointed window constructed of chiselled red grit stone and measuring on the outside three feet three inches [1m] in height and six and a quarter inches [01.5m] in width, but on the inside it is levelled off to three feet two inches. It forms a low arch at top on the same side and measures five feet two inches [1.57m] in height. At the distance of fourteen feet six inches [4.4m] from the east gable there is a doorway which is now disfigured on the outside, but on the inside in good preservation, forming a low arch at top and measuring six feet [1.8m] in height, three feet three inches [1m] in width. At the distance of fifteen feet [4.6m] from the west there is another doorway now much disfigured, but from what remains of it I could ascertain that it was pointed on the outside, six feet nine inches [2.05m] in height and about three feet [0.9m] in width. Its west side is totally destroyed, but the stone forming its point remains. Opposite this there is another doorway on the north wall disfigured on the outside, but perfect on the inside, where it forms a low arch and measures eight feet four inches [2.5m] in height and four feet seven inches [1.4m] in width. It is constructed in rather a rude style of roughly cut sandstone. It appears from bits of walls still remaining that this Church had lateral buildings to the north of it, but none of them remains. The east gable is good preservation' (O'Flanagan 1930, vol. 2, 3-4). Church ruins described in 1951 as follows; 'The ruin is 60 feet [18.3m] x 22 [6.7m] and is larger than the usual parish church perhaps because it is situate in the old Manor of Ballyertella the property of the Earl and Countess of Ormond up to the 18th century. The three light east window is in 15th cent[ury]. style but the remains of the earlier 13th cent[ury]. light can be distinguished in sandstone in the centre light of the more modern one. Monsignor Moloney's note reads: "Three light E. window, free stone, chamfered and rebated externally. XV cent[ury]. light inserted later in restoring centre light. Early piscina on right wall lobed around the drain hole. Original E[ast]. window early XIII cent[ury]." Outside the chancel on the Gospel side is an external chamber. This is an afterthought and does not now bind with the external wall. Above ground level it has an ope to the chancel. This is now near ground level but was apparently once at least two or more feet [0.6m] above it since the interior of the chancel and nave have been filled up by interments. It appears to be the chamber of an inclusus. Outside the S[outh]. door (15th cent.) is a stone which came up in the cleaning. It has embossed a panel about 1in. [0.02m] square bearing rosette four quatrefoils and the initials "T.B.'" and "S.B." -the Tudor Rose and the initials apparently refer to the Butler family' (Gleeson 1951, 98). Present remains consist of a rectangular church (ext. dims. 8.75m N-S; 20.5m E-W; wall T 0.88m) which has undergone recent repointing and restoration which may be responsible for the three buttresses on the N wall. The OS Letters describe possible lateral buildings attached to the N wall (O'Flanagan 1930, vol. 2, 3-4). It was built with roughly coursed sandstone and limestone rubble and the rebuilt W gable survives to a height of 3m. A single chamfered sandstone jamb with chamfer stop visible is all that remains of a doorway at the W end of the N wall. A second destroyed doorw