St. Feighins Church in ruins — Fore

The precise date of Feichin's foundation is unknown but a date in the second quarter of the seventh century seems likely. The deaths of its abbots are recorded in the Annals from 705 until 1163. The monastery was a prosperous one and was burned or raided in 745, 771, 804, 830, 870, 971, 1025, 1069, 1095, 1112, 1114, 1149, 1163, 1169, 1172 and 1176 (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 36; Leask n.d. 3-4). These raids indicate that it was a monastery of importance but it was probably eclipsed, if not actually supressed, with the foundation of the Benedictine priory in the 1180s. St Feichin's church continued to be used throughout the later Middle Ages as a parish church, however, and as such it is mentioned in the 1302-06 ecclesiastical taxation of Ireland where the 'Church of St. Fechin, Favorie' is valued at 26s. 8d.(Cal. doc. Ire., 259) and in a lease to Christopher Nugent, lord of Delvin in 1567 (Nicholls 1994, 134). In this year the Crown granted Christopher Nugent a 21 year lease 'of the site of the priory (WM004-035010-) or manor of Fowre, county Westmeath, lands of Fowre, a lough there called [Logheleyn], lands of Hilton, Carpenterston, Mylcasteltowne, Gilbertston, Rahen, Dromsawry, with a chapel and tithes, Comoylston, Lighill alias, Larkehill by the parts of the Breny, Fayron, Keneleighe, Ratheny, Donamore, Betaghton, Nynche, 13s. 4d. chief rents out of Nenaghe, in the said county, and the customs of the tenants ; the rectories of S. Mary (WM008-097002-) in Fower, S. Fekins (WM004-035003-) in Fower, Archidiorum (WM004-035004-) in Fower, Fayron, Faghley, Mayne, Leigheblay, Dromiskille, Ragarf, Oldecastell, and Balmagarvy, in the counties of Meath and Westmeath, and diverse parsonages in the Breny. To hold the possessions of Fower, for 21 years from 1582, at a rent of £175 10s 8d., and maintaining five horsemen’ (ibid.). In 1578 the Crown granted a 5 year lease to William Dood ‘of the site of the abbey of Fower (WM004-035010-), co. Westmeath, and the lands in Fowre, Hilton, Carpenterstowne, Mylcastellton, Gilbertston, Raghin, Dromsawry, Comoylston, Leighill alias Larkehill, Firone, Kilmalighe, Rathenny, Donnamore, Ballynniskerry, Betaughston, the Ninche, and Nenaghe, and the tithes and alterages of the rectories of Fower (WM008-097002-), S. Fekyn (WM004-035003-) in Fower, Archediorum (WM004-035004-) of Fower, Fayron, Faughley, Mayne, Lighblay, Dormiskell, Ragarfett, Oldecastell, and Balmagarvy, counties of Meath and Westmeath. To hold for 5 years. Rent, £140’ (ibid., 479). The church was in ruins at the time of Bishop Dopping's visitation of 1682-5 (Ellison 1975, 7). The early monastic remains consist of a group of isolated buildings on the west side of the village. These comprise St Feichin's church (WM039-035003-), Teampall Fionain (WM004-035001-), a souterrain (WM004-035006-), the anchorite's cell (WM004-035004-) and St. Feichin's mill (WM004-035012-). There is no evidence for an ecclesiastical enclosure or delimiting feature of the monastery. Described by Bradley (1985, 77-8) as a 'simple nave and chancel structure of coursed limestone masonry. The nave measures 11.3m by 7.2m and the chancel 5.86m by 5m. Chronologically the nave is pre-twelfth century while the chancel is an addition of the thirteenth. The windows of the east wall were blocked up in the fifteenth century and replaced by a single light. The chancel was carefully constructed in order to fit within the space formed by the antae of the nave. The east wall was originally lit by a twin-light window but this was partly filled in and replaced by a single-light cusped ogee-headed window with hollowed spandrels and external hood. The remains of the altar table are present beneath the window; this has a rectangular recess and is decorated with two deeply incised equal-armed crosses. The window is flanked by two corbels whose function is unclear, and there is a wall cupboard on the south side of the east wall. Both the north and south walls have two rectangular windows with internal splay; these have flat rear-arches except for one on the south side which is pointed. Projecting from the south wall is a chamfered piscina with drainage hole. The basin is shallow and is 0.28m in diameter and decorated with a half moulding on the outer side. The nave was originally a complete church with projecting antae and lintelled west door but most of its east wall was removed in order to form the chancel arch. This is a pointed arch of pink sandstone, plain except for a small figure carved on the lowermost springing stone of the north side facing into the nave. The figure is seated with his hands on his knees, and has a large round head with bulging eyes; the legs are crossed at the ankles and he wears a belted knee-length tunic. Portions of the north and south walls have been rebuilt and although they are largely featureless now, slight traces of a window are present at the east end of each wall. The west wall has a lintelled door with a batter splaying from 0.96m at the head to 1.1m at ground level. There is a rebate on the internal sides and an attempt was made to continue this on the lintel over the door. Externally the massive lintel is decorated in relief with an equal armed cross in a circle. High in the gable there is a wide flat lintelled window and there are also two corbels protruding from the wall. Inside the chancel of St. Fechin's church are the remains of a window moulding (dims. L 0.38m; T 0.2m) of 15th/16th century date and a limestone ogee-headed stone (dims. H 0.5m; Wth 0.46m; T 0.21m) of 15th century date set up against the wall of the chancel (Bradley et. al. 1985, 78). See attached plan of chruch taken from Bradley's Urban Survey of Westmeath. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 21 November 2013