Kilfane Church

In 1615 the Rectory formed part of the corps of the arch-deaconry of Ossory (Hegarty 1974, 7-8). According to the OS Letters of 1839 (O’Flanagan 1930, vol. 2, 14 (6)) the church was ‘used as a Protestant Church till very lately’, after which it was used as a school house (Hegarty 1974, 8). The fact that it was roofed into the 19th century may explain why the original internal plaster is so well preserved under later layers.

An undivided church (int. dims. 20.3m E-W; 5.45m N-S) of red sandstone rubble, roughly coursed with a base-batter (H 0.7m; Wth 0.1m). There are opposing ogee-headed doorways in the N and S walls, each with an internal circular stoop within a round-headed recess. There is a narrow ogee-headed doorway at the S end of the W gable which led to a small spiral stair, now blocked, giving access to the parapet. There is another ogee-headed doorway towards the E end of the S wall. The church was lit by three windows in the N wall, five windows in the S wall, a window in the W gable and an E window. Most of the windows are completely broken out, only a round-headed window with glazing-bar slot and holes survives at the E end of the S wall, lighting the altar. The original E window was broken out when a later window, within a large round-arched embrasure was inserted. There is a sedilia at the E end of the S wall, with engaged columns at either side and a central round column, all with plain capitals with good survival of red paint which appears to be original. At the E end of the wall there is a pointed, chamfered aumbry which would be a likely position for a piscina but the base, which appears to be original, has no perforation. On either side of the E window there is a tall, narrow statue niche (Wth c. 0.4m) with a triangular head. The northern niche has traces of a painted surround on the N side consisting of a vertical yellow border immediately around the window with an outer pattern of red on either side of a diagonal white strip. The paintwork appears to be original as it is beneath several later layers of plaster. Of note within the nave are the remains of four consecration crosses, two on the W gable, though the southern one was damaged when a later opening was broken though, and opposing crosses on the N and S wall, both c. 5m from the W gable. All take of the form of pattée crosses, the cross being highlighted in red paint against a white background, enclosed by a double-lined circle (diam. 0.5m) and are c. 1.3m above internal ground level. There is a stone altar (L 2m; D 0.62m; H 0.64m) against the E gable.

A tower adjoins the church at the E end of the N wall, both the E wall of the tower and the E gable of the church appear to be contemporary, though a slight change in masonry above ground-floor level suggests that the tower may have been heightened at a later date, perhaps with the barrel vault over the ground floor being inserted at this stage. The tower may originally have been a sacristy with a connecting doorway to the church in the N wall of the church. This appears to have been blocked up at some stage and at a later stage a rather crude opening in this wall broken though. A small window at the E end of the church in the N wall provides a view of the altar from within the tower at ground-floor level. Another small window, now blocked, at first-floor level, also provided a view of the altar. The ground-floor chamber of the tower is lit by an ogee-headed window with glazing-bar slot and holes in the E wall, which may be a later modification of an earlier window. There is an altar beneath the E window. There is a small aumbry at the S end of the E wall with a broken credence. There is an arched recess and a wall cupboard in the N wall and a recess under the stair in the W wall. At some stage a doorway appears to have been inserted at the S end of the E wall, giving access to the tower form the exterior. A straight stair rises in the thickness of the W wall and is lit by a single loop. There is a very unusual arrangement at the top of this stairs where there is evidence of a former trapdoor covering the top of the stair. The circular stone sockets for the door hinges are still in place, with a recess for the door itself. A large blocked opening in the N wall at the top of the stairs appears to be a later insert, if a doorway it suggests that there was either another building adjoining to the N or an external first-floor entrance, though no traces of either are visible externally. The first-floor has a fireplace in the N wall and a small garderobe recess at the E end of the N wall with a door recess in the E wall. This floor was lit by a window in the E wall. A doorway in the SE angle gives access to a narrow spiral stairs leading to the upper floors and parapet. The second floor has two wall cupboards, and was lit by an ogee-headed single-light window in the N wall and one in the E wall. The third floor also had two wall-cupboards and was lit four single-light cusped ogee-headed windows, one in each wall. At roof level there is a caphouse covering the stair, a parapet enclosed the rest of the tower with a double bellcote at the S end of the W wall of the tower, which partially rests on a corbelled overhang.

The architectural features of the church suggest a date in the first half of the 14th century, with the tower being heightened in the 15th century.

An effigy of a knight (KK028-013004-) is displayed in an upright position towards the E end of the church, against the N wall.

(National Monument no. 300)