RAHAN MONASTIC SITE - Offaly County Council

5.0 DEFINING THE ISSUES AND ASSESSING VULNERABILITY5.4 UseChurch of St CarthageThe Church of St Carthage is currently in use, on a regular basis in the summer months, as a place of divine worshipfor the Church of Ireland community. In 2006, it was used for an annual ecumenical service during Heritage Weekin August and in 2007 for an ecumenical service to celebrate the Feast of St Carthage on the 14 th of May. Theseservices have proved to be very popular with the local community, who maintain a strong interest in the churchand site. As one of the earliest churches in Ireland, this on-going spiritual use adds greatly to the spiritual andsocial significance of the building, and could be considered to be the defining feature of the place. Completing theconservation works to the exterior and interior of the churchand raising the comfort levels within (through the installationof new heating and lighting) will make the building moreattractive for regular use for worship and weddings.Catholic GraveyardThe modern Catholic graveyard remains in regular use,although nearing the end of the number of new grave plotsavailable. Even when all of the new plots have been opened,the graveyard will remain active for many years as existingplots are reopened for additional family burials, while in thelong term the graveyard will maintain great importance forgraveside visits of surviving family members.Farmland GrazingThe current and long established pattern of grazing the majorityPlate 56. Local people leaving church after annual ecumenicalservice.of the lands contained within the original monastic enclosureis an ideal way to preserve the sub-surface archaeology fromdisturbance and damage. The current owner and his ancestors deserve credit for the sensitive way they have farmedthese lands and a continuation of this practice is to be encouraged. As a working farm with grazing animals, thecurrent farmer has demonstrated a great tolerance of the traffic to the monastic site and graveyards.5.5 AccessThere is a designated parking area for five to six cars at the gate to the site on the Rahan to Killina Road and ahardcore surface leading across the field to the entrance to the Church of St Carthage and the graveyards. In2006 the Office of Public Works laid a small area of hardcore at the end of the lane to provide a hard standingarea for maintenance vehicles. This is also used as a turning point for a hearse. If large congregations attend thechurch for worship, for weddings or the annual ecumenical service, or for large funerals, parking occurs along theRahan to Killina Road or in the field inside the gates. The practice of parking on the grass within the enclosureis to be discouraged to avoid damage to the sub-surface archaeology. General access for the public to visit theChurch of St Carthage or the ruins owned by the State is through the entrance gate, along the lane to the churchthrough a working farm.5.6 ResourcesDue to the small numbers of Church of Ireland members in the local diocese, there are insufficient numbers tosustain regular weekly worship at the Church of St Carthage. As a result the financial resources of the union ofparishes that cares for the church are extremely limited. The wider Church of Ireland community, while recognizingthe great importance of this early church, carries responsibility for a vast number of other church buildings aroundIreland. The church is therefore dependent on state aid to enable the implementation of important conservationworks such as have been commenced during recent years. These have come through grants from the Department ofthe Environment, Heritage and Local Government, the Heritage Council and Offaly County Council. The significanceof these grants should not be underestimated, and the specialist advisors overseeing the spending of these fundsshould adopt an approach that embraces simple, frugal and traditional building practices that represent not onlygood conservation practice, but also good value for money.62