Survey Data
Reg No
20909620
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Architectural, Artistic, Historical, Social
Original Use
Church/chapel
Date
1760 - 1800
Coordinates
149198, 56204
Date Recorded
30/09/2009
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Freestanding double-height Roman Catholic church, built c.1780, now ruinous. Comprising four-bay two-storey central block with single-storey block to rear (north). Dressed stone eaves courses to central block. Rubbles stone walls throughout, having remains roughcast render. Camber-headed window openings to ground floor, some having stone sills to side (west, east) elevations. Round-headed window openings with stone sills and dressed stone voussoirs to first floor. Camber-headed door openings with flag stone doorstep to front elevation of main block having dressed stone voussoirs. Ashlar limestone water font with engraved cross to interior of south elevation set into round-headed niche. Set within graveyard containing variety of stone grave markers and table-tombs. Roughly coursed rubble stone boundary wall with render coping to south of site, having ornate double-leaf cast-iron gate with cross finials to square-profile rendered gate piers with ashlar stone plinths and chamfered coping.
Appraisal
Due to the status of Protestantism as the established church in the eighteenth century, this Roman Catholic church was built outside Bandon. It is of a surprisingly grand scale, which is unusual, and tells much of the wealth and power of Roman Catholics in the area at the time. Located within its own enclosed graveyard, containing many carved grave markers of artistic interest, this church is a picturesque landmark.