RAHAN MONASTIC SITE - Offaly County Council

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3.0 PHYSICAL EVIDENCEsoutheast of the Church of St Carthage. Other linear features and curving ditches all suggest the survival of acomplex sequence of possible archaeological features. The geophysical results show us the survival, the locationand the extent of the sub-surface archaeology. This clearly requires protection from any ground disturbance, whichcould result in the loss of this valuable archaeological resource.To the north of the Church of St Carthage there is a large rectangular earthwork that appears to be of archaeologicalsignificance and may be an enclosing element for a building associated with the large church. Immediately west ofthe graveyard there is a splendid old hawthorn tree growing on the footings of another building of archaeologicalsignificance. The section of graveyard wall that forms the eastern side of this area appears to be the upstandingremains of this building and is of different construction to the rest of the graveyard wall which dates from thenineteenth century.To the south of the Church of St Carthage, archaeological test trenching was carried out in the area abutting thesouth wall of the church by Tony Cummins on behalf of Sheila Lane and Associates in September 2004. This testtrenching was carried out to explore the option of lowering the ground level in order to alleviate the damp probleminside the church. Human remains were found 20cm below modern ground level. The presence of graves alongthe length of the south wall ruled out the proposed drainage option. 323.2 Buildings archaeology and associated featuresChurch of St Carthage (SMR No. OF016-015001)The chancel measures 4.5m x 3.3m internally and has a vaulted stone roof, now covered with natural slate.Originally, over the chancel there was a small loft space or croft that was formed by a lower vault, now removed.The scar for this former vault is still visible on the inner face of the south wall of the chancel. The croft was linked tothe chancel by a mural stairs that rose within the eastgable. A rebuilt flat-headed doorway located at theeast end of the north wall of the chancel gave accessto the mural stairs at ground level, while a similaropening linked the stairs to the croft in the south eastcorner of the east gable at first floor level. This croftmay have been built as a fireproof chamber where theprecious relics of the newly consecrated church werekept. The mural stairs would have enabled the clergyto bring the relics down from the croft and place themon display in one of the porticus or side-chapels forvisiting pilgrims. Both of these door openings survivealong with the upper and lower sections of the muralstairs, the middle section of which was removed duringthe installation of a tall east window in the thirteenthcentury. There are fragments of a lime wash undercoatwith traces of a reddish colour paint still visible on thesurface of the jambstones of these doorways.Plate 20. Internal face of 13th century east window.40Plate 21. External face of eastgable showing round Romanesquewindow and 20th century windowinserted by William Martin.
3.0 PHYSICAL EVIDENCEPlate 22. External face of south wall of the nave and chancel church with roofline of south porticus visible.Plate 25. Internal face of doorwayleading from chancel into southporticus.Plate 23. South face of bricked updoorway leading from chancel intosouth porticus.Plate 24. Single light round headedwindow in south wall of chancel.41
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 38 and 39: 2.0 UNDERSTANDING THE PLACEPlate 15
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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