RAHAN MONASTIC SITE - Offaly County Council

6.0 CONSERVATION POLICIES6.4 Church of St CarthageDuring late 2006 and early 2007, damaging and unsightly cement rich coatings previously applied to all of theexterior walls and the internal vault of the chancel of the Church of St Carthage were removed. This action hasgreatly assisted the conservation of the historic fabric and revealed it for the first time in many decades. It has alsoenabled the preparation of stone-by-stone line drawings of all of the historic masonry, prior to the reapplicationof new soft lime coatings.Policy 4a: General ApproachThe many layers and periods of the development of the Church of St Carthage should be respected in any futurerepairs of the building. It is not appropriate for the church to be restored to any one period of time, and allsurviving fabric should be conserved.Policy 4b: ExteriorFollowing the stone-by-stone line drawings of the Church of St Carthage, the external facade of the historicbuilding should be recoated in lime either as a wash or as a plaster. Lime wash will enable the stonework of thebuilding to remain visible but provide the stonework with some degree of valuable protection.It is important that the lime coatings on the church are maintained in the future. The application of a lime washshelter coat might be considered for the protection of the Romanesque carvings. Expert advice and in-depthconsultation should be sought from various bodies including the National Monuments Service, ArchitecturalHeritage Advisory Unit, academic institutions and from a recognised stone conservator prior to any works beingundertaken.Policy 4c: Internal MasonryThe internal masonry of the chancel will require a lime coating for both conservation and aesthetic reasons: toprovide a breathable shelter coat, to consolidate the masonry, to stabilise dust from the joints and to provide afine rubblework finish to the soffit of the stone vaulting in the chancel. The chancel arch on the nave side hasrecently been stabilised by pinning and pointing in lime and sand, with several damaged stones repaired. Asthe remainder of the internal faces of the walls of the nave are coated in a smooth lime and sand plaster, it isrecommended that a similar finish be applied to the rubble wall of the nave side of the chancel arch excludingthe stone carvings.The important carved heads on the capitals of the chancel arch survive in a worn and partially damaged state, aswould be expected of artwork that has endured for between 800 and 900 years. In some areas, the surface finishof the stone is flaking off, probably due to the high levels of humidity that are to be found in any rarely used andinfrequently heated building. This on-going decay is a cause for concern and should be investigated further. Amasonry conservator experienced in traditional rather than contemporary chemical repair methods should beconsulted to recommend the most appropriate conservation method to be followed. On no account should untriedmodern surface consolidants be used on the carved stonework of this building whether internally or externally.Plate 57. View of barrel-vaulted chancel roof with traces of wicker-centring visible after removal of cement coating.64