Knockanure Church

The medieval parish church of Knockanure (Cnoc an Iúir / Hill of the Yew Tree) stands in the townland of Lissaniska (Lios an Uisce), in the parish of Knockanure, diocese of Ardfert, barony of Iraghticonnor. In 1302 the papal taxation of the Diocese of Ardfert valued the Church of 'Mac Inwyr' [Knockanure?] at 20s per annum with the tithe valued at 2s. (Cal. doc. Ire., Vol. 5, 297). In 1435 a papal letter recorded the following details about the joining of the churches of Murher (KE006-015----) and Knockanure; 'Mandate to collate and assign to Dermit Oscanlayn [O'Scanlon], canon of Ardfert (who was lately dispensed by papal authority, as the son of unmarried parents related in the third and third degrees of kindred (i) to be promoted to all, even holy orders and hold benefice even with cure, (i) provision having been ordered by the said authority to be made to him of a canonry of the church of Ardfert and the prebend of the church of Mohayrit [Murher Church] in the said diocese of Ardfert, to receive and hold them, the perpetual vicarage of Hyorcolle [Knockanure] in the said diocese, value not exceeding 3 marks, void because Cormac Oconchuerie [O'Connor], when holding it, entered and made his regular profession as a canon of the Augustinian monastery of Ratuhy [Rattoo KE009-056004-] in the said diocese; whether it be so 'void, or because Donald Oykennela [O'Kennelly] held it for more than a year without being ordained priest, or in any other way, and notwithstanding that he holds the said canonry and prebend and the vicarage of the said church of Mohyry [Murher] value not exceeding 2 and 6 marks respectively. Dermit, who asserts that the said parish churches are only about two miles of Italy apart, and that mass has not been for several years celebrated in the said church of Hyorcolle [Knockanure], is hereby further dispensed on account of the said defect etc., to receive the said vicarage of Hyorcolle [Knockanure], and moreover to hold it and that of Mohyryr [Murher] together for life' (Cal. papal letters, vol. 8, 560-1). In 1615 the Royal Visitation of the Diocese of Ardfert recorded the following details; 'Vicar of Knocknewer and Murphir [Murher KE006-015----]. Rectoria spectat ad Autho Stoughton. Luke Moris minister legens residet. Valoris 3 libri. Church and chancell well slated' (Murphy 1915, 185).

In 1841 the Ordnance Survey described Knockanure church ruins as follows; 'On the hill of Knockanure, which is situated three Irish miles to the east of Listowel, is a church in ruins which is comparatively modern, with a burying ground attached to it, which is without wall or fence, but is much frequented. The walls of the church are still perfect, the south-west corner being, however, battered on the outside. They are built of limestone, lime and sand mortar. Among the black limestones appear stones of a reddish colour, which I could not discern as being lime or not in their quality. There are four windows on it, the interior sides of which are built of hammered limestone, black coloured. There were six, one on the north wall near the west gable, now broken at the top; another opposite it on the south wall in the same condition. The four perfect windows are square inside and large; one on the east gable, two on the south side-wall, reaching to near the ground.

These three are pointed outside and small where they are constructed with hammered limestone. The one on the west gable does not come so near the ground and is square outside though small. The whole length of the church on the inside is sixty-four feet three inches [19.6m]; and breadth twenty-one feet [6.4m]. The side walls are four feet six inches thick [1.4m] and nine and a half feet [2.9m] high. The window on the east gable is four feet one inch [1.25m] from the now surface of the ground outside, five feet eleven inches [1.8m] high and six and a quarter inches [0.15m] broad. The window on the south side wall next to the east gable is three feet eight inches [1.1m] from the ground outside, and four feet seven and a half inches [1.4m] high, being six and a quarter inches [0.15m] broad; the window between this and the doorway is three feet eleven inches [1.2m] from the ground outside and four feet two inches [1.3m] high being six inches [0.15m] broad. The window on the west gable is seven feet four inches [2.2m] from the ground outside. I could not actually measure this one, but suppose it to be six feet [1.8m] high and six inches [0.15m] broad. The doorway is placed on the south side wall at the distance of twenty-five feet [7.6m] from the south-west corner on outside; it is pointed and built of hammered limestone similar to the stone used in the windows. It is six feet [1.8m] high, and three feet ten inches [1.16m] broad. On the inside is a segment arch which is six feet eight inches [2m] from the ground in height and is five feet three inches [1.6m] broad. There is a patron held at Knockanure Cross on 15 August, where it is said there is a holy well called Tobar Rígh an Domhnaigh [Sunday's Well KE011-011----]' (O'Donovan 1983, 23-4).

Knockanure Church and graveyard (KE011-022001-) described by Toal (1995, no. 941) as follows; 'The remains of this rectangular church are situated in a graveyard. The church measures 22.2m x 8.7m externally with walls 1.3m thick. The walls survive almost to full height and are built of limestone with lime-and-sand mortar. The S wall contains the doorway, which is situated 7.5m from the W gable. The doorway measures 1m wide x 1.8m high. It is formed of cut limestone in the pointed style. The S wall is lit by two single lit ogee headed windows measuring .3m wide x 1.3m high. The E and W gables are also lit by narrow slit windows, the E one being in the pointed style, while the W is rectangular. The N wall also contained a window situated 3m from the W gable; it is now disfigured and the upper section is gone.

Knockanure Church was administered by the Augustinian canons of Rattoo. Cormac O'Connor, one of its early rectors, resigned in 1434 to become a monk. He was succeeded by Donatus O'Kennelly, who held the parish for a year before being deposed and succeeded by Dermot O'Scanlon in 1435. According to the 1704 registration of priests 'Godfry Daily' was ministering here at the beginning of the 18th century'.

In 2011 a graveyard survey carried out by Ann Frykler and Robert Hanbidge of Headland Archaeology Ltd. recorded the following details: ‘The church ruin is listed in the RMP as KE011‐022 and is in good condition, retaining much of its original form including a three‐bay nave. The standing walls consist of roughly dressed

rubble stone with a lime and gravel mortar. The walls are slightly battered at the base. However many of the finer examples of the masonry within the fabric of the walls (mainly the quoins) have been robbed out. The church is orientated on an east/west axis and originally had a pitched roof, the gables of which remain intact at the east and west elevations. Narrow pointed arch‐headed windows survive in the south, east and west elevations and consist of chamfered tooled limestone surrounds, voussoirs and sills with splayed internal reveals. A gap at the west end of the north elevation suggests that there may have been a window in the northern elevation, but this is unclear. A pointed arch‐headed door opening in the south elevation comprises chamfered tooled limestone voussoirs and surrounds with tooled limestone step. A recent addition of a

short concrete ramp improves access to the interior of the church. Within the church, a number of

burials are located along with a piscina in the southeast corner. A number of recesses are also situated in the interior walls of the church. Much of the walls of the church are covered in ivy while the (presumably) tooled stone quoins have been robbed out causing the corners to partially collapse.

Architectural Fragments

Miscellaneous No. 02: Tooled limestone block which either formed pa