Aghacross Church

In centre of graveyard (14536), within early ecclesiastical site (13873). Ruin of rectangular church comprising nave (16.3m E-W; 7.4m N-S) with chancel extension to E (10.1m E-W; 7.4m N-S). Walls mostly survive to full height; nave built of sandstone rubble, chancel of roughly coursed sandstone and limestone. Walls of chancel have gentle base batter; batter on nave walls either added to original wall or part of rebuilding. Heavy overgrowth, particularly on E gable, cleared in late 1980s. In 1992 Cork County Council commissioned architectural survey (Hanley et al. 1995), on which following account of church is largely based. Council carried out conservation work in 1993-4, including consolidation of E gable, return of N chancel wall and parts of S wall.

Nave entered through doorway in centre of W gable. External jambs composed of re-used Romanesque fragments; using these, together with fragments noted in W and N walls and recovered from graveyard, the original Romanesque W doorway, which had three orders, can be reconstructed (see O'Keeffe in Hanley et al. 1995, 24-6). East ends of S and N walls of nave finish in butt-ends, showing clearly it pre-dates chancel; no wall now between nave and chancel but unfaced scar of former E end wall of nave visible internally on S wall. Only evidence for window in nave is ruinous embrasure (Wth c. 2.9m) towards E end of S wall.

Doorway to chancel, at W end of S wall, now ruinous: straight ingoings under shallow segmental arch; holy water stoup in E jamb; fragments of chamfered fluted jambstones found nearby, one re-used as gravemarker, probably from door surround. East wall has central window with twin ogee-headed light under stepped hood moulding; embrasure, splayed under round arch, now completely blocked with stonework and by Massy tomb of 1771 built up against it on the inside. Carved sandstone head protrudes from W side of external face of gable (ibid., fig. 8). Top of gable missing; coping stones similar to those at Carrigdownane (14402) and other nearby churches. South wall of chancel has window towards E end, with splayed embrasure under shallow segmental arch; light, under stepped hood moulding, largely missing, though head of twin ogee-headed light found nearby. Square beam slot over finely carved limestone corbel, immediately W of embrasure arch, may have supported rood screen. Pointed-arch niche near SE corner probably for piscina- base below present ground surface. North wall has central gap (L 6m); at E end of gap is jamb of splayed window embrasure- window sill found in rubble nearby.

Bullaun stone (13908) and fragment of stone mortar were found in rubble inside chancel during restoration work. Parish church of Aghacross, known locally as Templemolaga. Nave contains core of Romanesque church which O'Keeffe (ibid., 26) dates to around 1150-60AD. Nave was extensively rebuilt when chancel added in 15th/ 16th century. Church listed in Papal Taxation lists of 1291; reported 'in repair' in 1615, but abandoned by 1694 (Brady 1863, vol. 2, 114).