Survey Data

Reg No

30406111


Rating

Regional


Categories of Special Interest

Architectural, Artistic, Social


Original Use

Church/chapel


In Use As

Church/chapel


Date

1810 - 1820


Coordinates

178247, 238777


Date Recorded

28/10/2009


Date Updated

--/--/--


Description

Freestanding cruciform-plan Church of Ireland church, built c.1815, having five-bay nave, single-bay transepts and chancel, latter with lean-to porch to south side, and vestry at south-east at junction of nave and transept and having chamfered corner, and with three-stage bell tower to west. Pitched natural slate roof with stone copings to skew gables, moulded stone cornice, and cast-iron rainwater goods. Crenellated parapet to tower with stone obelisk finials. Rendered walls to nave and tower, course squared and snecked limestone walls with plinth elsewhere. String course between stages of tower. Pointed double-light stained-glass windows to nave and transepts with quatrefoils above, and hood-mouldings. Pointed triple-light east window with cusped heads and having trefoil and sexfoil lights above, and hood-moulding. Pointed-arch louvered double openings to top stage of tower with hood-mouldings, pair of square-headed mulitpane windows to second stage. Blind pointed arch openings to upper part of west gable wall of nave and flanking tower. Vestry has shouldered arch entrance having timber battened door with decorative cast-iron hinges, opening having engaged limestone colonettes. Pointed arch door opening to tower with square-headed double-leaf timber battened door with decorative strap hinges, in chamfered surround with hood-moulding, timber battening to tympanum, and limestone threshold and steps. Church set back from road with graveyard, having random rubble boundary wall with decorative wrought-iron entrance gates.

Appraisal

This interesting and picturesque early nineteenth-century Church of Ireland church is an attractive part of the architectural heritage of Ahascragh. The original form is in keeping with the Board of First Fruit style of church, namely a nave with tower, which can be found throughout the Irish countryside. The Church was extended by Rawson Carroll c.1865 who added transepts, a chancel vestry and the porches. Damaged by fire in 1922, it was rebuilt under the supervision of Richard Orpen and it was re-opened in 1926. Still in use, Saint Catherine’s is an important building to the local religious community.