Church in Ardfinnan

On a hill over-looking the River Suir with Ardfinnan Castle (TS088-001001-) and settlement (TS088-001----) c. 350m below to the SSW. St. Fionan Lobhar founded a monastery in Ardfinnan in the 7th century, supposedly on the site of the present Protestant church (Gwynn and Hadcock 1988, 29; Killanin and Duignan 1967, 66). The monastery, together with the town, was plundered and burned by the Anglo-Normans in 1178 (Gwynn and Hadcock 1988, 29). The medieval church is depicted in a sketch drawn in 1744 as a largely ruined building, though the central section is roofed (Harbison 2000, 196-7). This central portion was renovated for Anglican worship in c. 1724 (Butler 2006, 189-90). In 1807 the medieval church was replaced by the present C of I church (ibid., 282). Several of the early 19th-century windows have been replaced and some of the former surrounds are lying around the graveyard (TS082-068005-). The earlier monastery or medieval church is not visible at ground level. In the SE corner of the graveyard, adjacent to the boundary wall, there is an early 17th-century chest tomb (TS088-002003-). According to Gwynn and Hadcock (1988, 339), the church was confirmed to the Knights Hospitallers in 1212 and ‘The king, Philip of Worcester (Justiciar in 1184) and Raymond de Carreu granted the ch[urch] and lands which were alienated temp [or in reign of] Pr[ior] Walter de Ewyas (c. 1300), and a free chapel was served by a chaplain daily’. The tithes were leased by Prior Massingberd c. 1558 (ibid.). Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 11 February 2014