RAHAN MONASTIC SITE - Offaly County Council

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2.0 UNDERSTANDING THE PLACEPlate 15. View of internal face ofthe south wall of the chancel (Henry1940).Plate 18. View of the underside of the stone-vaulted chancel showing hard cement-richcoating prior to removal.Plate 16. View of internal face of theengaged columns on the north side ofthe chancel arch (Henry 1970).Plate 19. View of the underside of the stone-vaulted chancel with evidence of wicker centringafter removal of hard cement-rich coating.Plate 17. Removal of hard cementrichcoatings from the underside ofthe stone-vaulted chancel.38
3.0 PHYSICAL EVIDENCE3.0 PHYSICAL EVIDENCE3.1 Sub-surface archaeologyMonastic Enclosure and Earthworks (SMR No. OF016-015005/OF016-015004)The monastic enclosure measures 500m east to west by 325m north to south. Large enclosures of this type are acharacteristic feature of the early monastic settlements founded in <strong>County</strong> <strong>Offaly</strong> and the neighbouring midlandregions. The ecclesiastical enclosure is now utilised as a field boundary to the south, east and west. Traces ofthe levelled enclosure can still be seen in the field to the southeast of the Bridge House. The Clodiagh Rivercompletes the enclosure to the north, and may originally have supplied water to the fosse between the twoconcentric earthen banks of the enclosure, thus creating a moat around the monastery of Rahan. Inside theenclosure there are traces of a millrace that appears on the first edition of the Ordnance Survey six-inch map.This millrace was lengthened to the east during the nineteenth century when considerable drainage works werecarried out inside the enclosure and to the surrounding fields of the former monastery of Rahan. The majority ofthe earthworks inside the monastic enclosure appear to create small platforms or fields containing cultivationridges that are surrounded by drainage ditches feeding into a water channel running parallel to the ClodiaghRiver. These earthworks appear to be an attempt to drain the land inside the enclosure around the latter half ofthe nineteenth and early part of the twentieth century. Running parallel to the Clodiagh River, there is a longalmost continuous spoil heap which is the result of a river drainage scheme carried out by the state during the1940s and 1950s.The geophysical survey carried out by Dr Paul Gibson has revealed that there is substantial sub-surface archaeologyinside the monastic enclosure at Rahan. He has identified a possible inner sub-rectangular enclosure aroundthe medieval church and graveyard, with a possible square-shaped building outside this enclosure to theFigure 31. Results of geophysical survey carried out by Dr Paul Gibson inside the monastic enclosure.39
Page 4 and 5: This is an action of the Offaly
Page 6: CONTENTSAcknowledgements 9Foreword
Page 14 and 15: 1.0 INTRODUCTION1.0 INTRODUCTION1.1
Page 18 and 19: REV.NOTESDATE5 Upper O'Connell Stre
Page 20 and 21: 1.0 INTRODUCTIONLEGEND OF HISTORIC
Page 23: 1.0 INTRODUCTIONRahan Church Sectio
Page 26 and 27: 2.0 UNDERSTANDING THE PLACE2.0 UNDE
Page 28 and 29: 2.0 UNDERSTANDING THE PLACERahan mo
Page 30 and 31: 2.0 UNDERSTANDING THE PLACENineteen
Page 32 and 33: 2.0 UNDERSTANDING THE PLACETwentiet
Page 34 and 35: 2.0 UNDERSTANDING THE PLACEjambs an
Page 36 and 37: 2.0 UNDERSTANDING THE PLACEBuilding
Page 40 and 41: 3.0 PHYSICAL EVIDENCEsoutheast of t
Page 42 and 43: 3.0 PHYSICAL EVIDENCEThe inner reve
Page 44 and 45: 3.0 PHYSICAL EVIDENCESuggested Buil
Page 46 and 47: 3.0 PHYSICAL EVIDENCEPlate 34. Sout
Page 48 and 49: 3.0 PHYSICAL EVIDENCEFigure 33. Rub
Page 50 and 51: 3.0 PHYSICAL EVIDENCE3.3 Artefacts
Page 52 and 53: 3.0 PHYSICAL EVIDENCE3.4 EcologyThe
Page 54 and 55: 4.0 ASSESSMENT and STATEMENT OF SIG
Page 60 and 61: 5.0 DEFINING THE ISSUES AND ASSESSI
Page 62 and 63: 5.0 DEFINING THE ISSUES AND ASSESSI
Page 64 and 65: 6.0 CONSERVATION POLICIES6.4 Church
Page 66 and 67: 6.0 CONSERVATION POLICIESPolicy 4g:
Page 68 and 69: 6.0 CONSERVATION POLICIES6.7 Ecolog
Page 70 and 71: LIST OF IMAGESLIST OF IMAGESCover.
Page 72 and 73: BibliographyBibliographyCarthage (F
Page 74 and 75: AbbreviationsAbbreviationsA. Clon.
Page 76 and 77: APPENDICESAppendix 2Nineteenth and
Page 78 and 79: APPENDICESby the Irish masons even
Page 80 and 81: APPENDICESDescriptions of the Circu
Page 82 and 83: APPENDICESSmall ChurchIn 1845 Petri
Page 84 and 85: APPENDICESAppendix 3Rahan — Timel
Page 86 and 87: APPENDICESAppendix 4New Parish of F
Page 88 and 89:
APPENDICESThe Book of Ballymote (Le
Page 90:
ENDNOTESENDNOTES1 Plummer 1922, 2,
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RAHAN MONASTIC SITE - Offaly County Council

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