St Declans Church — Ardocheasty

Located towards the top of a N-facing slope with a N-S ravine to the E. Ardmore is the site of an early church founded by St Declan, traditionally a pre-Patrician saint, in the 5th century. With the exception of the death of Ultan, Declan’s successor who died in AD 555, little is recorded of the later history of the monastery. Ardmore was recognised as a diocesan centre between 1170 and 1210 (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 62) when the Cathedral was built. It is recorded that Moel-ettrim Ó Duibhe-rathra died in 1203, having finished the building of the church (MacNab 1987, 51). After 1210 when the Ardmore diocese was united with Lismore the cathedral became parochial. In 1642 the cathedral and round tower were besieged (Windele 1856-7), but the chancel of the cathedral continued in use as a Protestant church until 1838, when the present Church of Ireland church was built c. 150m to the NNE, at which time the font (WA040-008019-) was moved to it. The three butresses were added to the cathedral in 1630 according to a crudely incised datestone (WA040-008025-) on the NW one (O'Keefe 1992, 77), if it is in its original position. The earliest archaeological remains are represented by three ogham stones (WA040-008005-, WA040-008006-, WA040-008007-). The ecclesiastical remains comprise traces of a large monastic enclosure (WA040-008023-) which encompasses St Declan’s Oratory (WA040-008001-) and the graveyard (WA040-008008-), the cathedral (WA040-008002-) and the round tower (WA040-008003-). A pattern is held on St Declan’s Day, July 24th, which also involves Dysert church (WA040-011001-) and St Declan’s Well (WA040-011002-), and St Declan’s Stone (WA040-010----) on the shore. The Cathedral is a nave (int. dims. 22m E-W; 7.8m N-S) and chancel (int. dims. 10.35m E-W; 4.82m) church of three phases, the earliest of which is represented by the cyclopean masonry of the N and S chancel walls and constitutes a separate church (WA040-008004-). The chancel arch (Wth 2.95m), which may have originally been flanked by wall niches (O’Keeffe 1992, 85), and the nave with its four round-headed windows, two inserted tomb recesses and blind arcading, were added in the late 12th century. Shortly afterwards the W end of the nave was extended and the chancel arch was rebuilt as a pointed arch. Doorways were inserted in the N and S walls and the arcading on the external face of the W wall was re-erected (Smith 1972), although this interpretation has been questioned by O’Keeffe (1992, 86-91) who regards the nave as a single construction, although the sculptures in the W wall were re-set, possibly in the 17th century. The arcading on the W wall consists of a row of thirteen panels on a chamfered string course. Nine of the panels have figure carvings, although all may have had carvings originally (Ryland 1824, 330). The iconography of some the panels has been interpreted, where possible, as: Majestas, The Last Judgement and a number of bishops (Mac Nab 1987, 62-3; O’Keeffe 1992, 92-5). The panels are placed above two (originally three) larger lunettes; that on the N contains three sculpted panels, one of which depicts Adam and Eve, while that on the S contains seven panels combined into two scenes; the Judgement of Solomon over the Adoration of the Magi. (Westropp 1903, 368-70; Power 1932c, 23-7; Mac Nab 1987, 63-5; O'Keefe 1992, 98-101) Two of the three ogham stones (WA040-008005-, WA040-008007-) from Ardmore are in the chancel, while the third (WA040-008006-) is in NMI. Seven medieval graveslabs, a cross-inscribed stone, and the original cap of the round tower (WA040-008003-) are in the nave. An octagonal font (dim. 0.68m) with a circular basin (diam. 0.52m; D 0.22m) and stiff-leaf decoration that was originally supported on four pillars, was moved in the early part of the 19th century to the nearby C of I church (WA040-008020-). (Power 1898b, 155-8; Westropp 1903, 367-73; Harbison 1992b, 324-25) Gwynn, A. and Hadcock, R. N. (1970) (reprint 1988) Medieval religious houses in Ireland. Irish Academic Press, Dublin. Harbison, P. (1992b) Guide to the national and historic monuments of Ireland. Gill and Macmillan Ltd., Dublin. McNab, S. L. (1987) The Romanesque sculptures of Ardmore Cathedral, Co. Waterford. JRSAI 117, 50-68. O’Keefe, T. (1992) Romanesque architecture and sculpture at Ardmore. in C. Nolan, T. P. Power and D. Cowman, (eds), Waterford – history and socitey, 73-104, Geography Publications, Dublin. Power, Rev. P. (1898b) Excursion guides – 2: Ardmore. WAJ 4, 147-63. Power, Rev. P. (1932c) Ardmore; its founder and early Christian monuments. Catholic Truth Society. Dublin Ryland, Rev. R. H. (1824) The History, topography and antiquities of the county and city of Waterford. John Murray. London. Smith, J. T. (1972) Ardmore Cathedral. JRSAI 102, 1-13. Westropp, T. J. (1903) Notes on the antiquities of Ardmore. JRSAI, 33, 353-80. Windele, J. (1856-7) The round tower of Ardmore and its siege in 1642. JRSAI 4, 196-202. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Waterford' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1999). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload/revision: 11 November 2011