13 November 2020

Doneraile Church, part of
the steeplechase legend,
has a tower but no steeple

Saint Mary’s Church, Doneraile, Co Cork … first built in 1633 and rebuilt many times since (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2020)

Patrick Comerford

During my ‘road trip’ visit to Buttevant, Co Cork, in September, I saw a mural on the gable end of Moloney’s pub that boasts how the world’s first-ever Steeplechase was run from Buttevant and Doneraile in 1752.

The legend says that after a hunt, a local man, Edmund Blake, challenged his neighbour Cornelius O’Callaghan, to race across country from Buttevant church steeple to Doneraile church steeple, a distance of four miles away (6.4 km). And so, the Steeplechase passed into racing vocabulary and history.

I was surprised then, when I visited Doneraile later that day, to see that Saint Mary’s Church, the Church of Ireland parish church in Doneraile, Co Cork, while it is of considerable charm and character, has no steeple.

Saint Mary’s Church was built and rebuilt in phases between 1633 and 1815-1816, and it is highly visible from numerous vantage points in Doneraile town and in the surrounding countryside.

The church is one of the first sights on arriving in Doneraile from the north, and it provides an interesting contrast to the Church of the Nativity, the Roman Catholic parish church at the south end of the town, and it offers am interesting introduction to the architectural heritage of Doneraile.

The first Saint Mary’s Church was built in 1633 by William St Leger, Lord President of Munster. It was repaired or rebuilt in 1726 by his grandson, Arthur St Leger, Viscount Doneraile. It was repaired again or rebuilt in 1815-1816, with a loan of £2,000 from the Board of First Fruits and probably through the patronage of Lord Doneraile.

The cohesive architectural details of the exterior, with a repeated ogee motif, are reflected inside the church, mimicking in the repeated ogee detailing of the timber panelling to the walls and doorway and in the altar area.

Saint Mary’s Church, Dineraile … the ogee motif is repeated outside and inside (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2020)

Inside, the church has many points of historical and architectural interest, including the pulpit, pews and a wall monument to the St Leger family of Doneraile Court.

The church has a four-bay nave, square-plan three-stage tower at the west end, a limestone plaque dated 1726.

The stained-glass East Window, with tracery, dates from 1878. It displays high artistic merit and compliments the other windows in the nave. It is flanked by blind pointed arch niches with limestone sills, each window flanked by tapering limestone engaged columns with moulded bases, and capitals with sharp pointed pinnacles.
The church floor has geometric encaustic and marble tiles. There is a flattened king-post trussed roof, and painted rendered walls with ogee-headed timber panelling, an ornate marble monument to the St Leger family on the north wall and a decorative timber pulpit in the south-east. There is a carved timber altar, chairs and pews, a polished brass altar rail, and a polished red granite font, also at the west end.

The vestry has a Tudor arch doorway, and there are timber panelled doors at the west end, with ogee-headed panelling and fluted carved timber surrounds.

The church bell, preserved in the west lobby, is cracked but original and dates from the earlier phases of the church. It has a Latin inscription and date (1636) that state it was made for William St Leger, Viscount Doneraile, and his wife Gertrude, and repaired by their grandson Arthur when it was broken in 1700.

The peel of six bells is one of the few surviving in an Irish country parish church.

Other interesting details include the cast-iron boot scrapes, set into limestone blocks. The surrounding churchyard has some elaborate chest tombs and ornate gravestones.

The writer Elizabeth Bowen recalled almost 80 years ago, in 1942, how ‘in the great days of the Doneraile neighbourhood, the line of gentlemen’s carriages outside the church on Sundays, used (they say) to be a mile long …’

Saint Mary’s is part of the Mallow Union of Parishes in the Diocese of Cork, Cloyne and Ross. The Ven Meurig Williams, who currently Archdeacon of France and Monaco in Europe, has been appointed the new Rector of Mallow Union of Parishes.

Saint Mary’s Church, Doneraile … the surrounding churchyard has elaborate chest tombs and ornate gravestones (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2020)

Visiting the cathedrals
and churches in Limerick
city and county

Inside Saint Mary’s Cathedral, Limerick … marked its 850th anniversary in 2018 (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2017; click on image for full-screen vision)

Patrick Comerford

Since moving to the Rectory in Askeaton, Co Limerick, I have enjoyed visiting cathedrals, churches and church buildings in Limerick city and county, writing about them and photographing them.

As the years move on, it has become difficult for some readers to find these postings on this site, and my last listing of these churches and buildings, first compiled on 1 June 2017, had not been updated since 1 January 2019. Since then, the number of churches and church sites I have visited has continued to grow. So this posting offers links to these and similar postings.

I plan to delete the earlier list later this evening, and intend to update this list as I write about more churches and buildings, indicating the date of the latest update at the end of this posting, and to provide an additional link in the toolbar in the banner at the top of the front page of this site.

Limerick City:

Cathedrals:

1, Saint Mary’s Cathedral, Limerick (Church of Ireland), 23 February 2016; and here, 19 February 2016.

2, Saint Mark’s Chapel and the mediaeval chapels in Saint Mary’s Cathedral, Limerick, 2 August 2019.

3, Saint John’s Cathedral, Limerick (Roman Catholic), 26 May 2017.

Church of Ireland Churches:

4, Saint Michael’s Church, Pery Square, 3 January 2018.

5, Saint John’s Church, John’s Square, 27 May 2017.

6, Saint Munchin’s Church, Church Street, 27 May 2017.

7, Saint Nicholas Church (site), Nicholas Street, 22 May 2017.

8, Trinity Episcopal Church, Catherine Street, 13 February 2017.

9, Site of former Saint George’s Church, corner of George’s Street and Mallow Street, 10 January 2018.

10, Saint Michael’s Church, Pery Square, 3 January 2018.

11, The windows in Saint Michael’s Church, Pery Square, Limerick, 22 March 2018.

12, Kilmurry Church, Castletroy, 13 February 2018.

Roman Catholic Churches:

13, Church of the Sacred Heart (Jesuit), The Crescent, 28 April 2017.

14, Mount Saint Alphonsus (Redemptorist), Upper Henry Street, 3 June 2017.

15, Saint Michael’s Church, Denmark Street, 24 August 2017.

16, Saint Augustine’s Church, O’Connell Street, 2 June 2017.

17, Saint Mary’s Church, Athlunkard Street, 5 August, 2017.

18, Saint Saviour’s Church (Dominican), Glentworth Street, 31 May 2017.

19, Saint Munchin’s Church, on the corner of Clancy Strand, High Road and Thomondgate, Limerick, 4 November 2017.

20, The Good Shepherd Convent, former chapel and convent, Clare Street, Limerick, 16 September 2017.

21, Mount Vincent, former chapel and convent, the Sisters of Mercy, 18 September 2017.

22, Former private chapel, Ozanam House, Hartstonge House, 10 January 2018.

23, Former Franciscan Church and Friary, Henry Street, 12 January 2018.

24, Saint Joseph’s Church, Quinlan Street and O’Connell Avenue, 13 January 2018.

25, Saint Patrick’s Church, Clare Street, 17 March 2018.

Other Churches:

26, Saint Munchin’s Church or Kilrush Church, Old Church Road, off the North Circular Road, Limerick, 13 July 2019.

27, Peter’s Cell, the Canonesses of Saint Augustine, 18 July 2018.

28, The ruins of Saint Patrick’s Church, Kilmurry, 17 March 2018.

29, Baptist Church, Upper O’Connell Street, 18 March 2017.

30, Christ Church, O’Connell Street (Methodist and Presbyterian), 8 June 2017.

31, Presbyterian Church, Glentworth Street, 15 February 2017.

32, Presbyterian Church, Henry Street, 15 February 2017.

33, Christ Church (Methodist and Presbyterian), O’Connell Street, 8 June 2017.

34, Former Quaker Meeting House, Cecil Street, 24 August 2017.

35, Former Congregationalist Chapel, Hartstonge Street, 11 January, 2018.

36, The Brethren Hall, Mallow Street, 11 January 2018.

Other faith communities:

37, The Jewish Community sites in Limerick, including the former synagogues and the cemetery, 2 July 2017.

38, The Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Lower Gerald Griffin Street, 30 December 2017.

Co Limerick:

Church of Ireland:

39, Castletown Church, Kilcornan, 21 May 2017.

40, Holy Trinity Church, Rathkeale, 2 March 2017.

41, Saint Mary’s Church, Askeaton, 27 January 2017.

42, Saint Nicholas Church, Adare, 7 February 2011.

43, The windows in Saint Nicholas’s Church, Adare, 24 March 2018.

44, The former Saint Paul’s Church, Glin, 9 September 2017.

45, The site of Saint Thomas’s Church, Newcastle West, 11 September 2017.

46, Former parish church, Ballingarry, 2 November 2017.

47, Former parish church, Croagh, 2 November 2018.

48, Former parish church, Ballycahane, 26 November 2017.

49, Former Saint David’s Church, Newcastle West, 9 October 2018.

50, The former Saint Munchin’s Church, Bruree, 8 January 2019.

51, The former ‘New Church’ on the shores of Lough Gur, 6 July 2019.

52, All Saints’ Church, Stradbally, 25 April 2020.

53, The former parish church, Rathronan, near Aradgh, 24 September 2019, and churchyard, 23 September 2019.

54, The former parish church, Foynes, 7 July 2020.

55, The former parish church, Shanagolden, 7 July 2020.

56, The former Kilmoylan Church, near Shanagolden, 18 August 2020.

57, The Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, Kilmallock, 14 October 2020.

58, Croom Parish Church, 16 October 2020.

59, Saint John’s Church, Abington, 20 October 2020.

60, The former parish church, Dunmoylan, 17 November 2020.

Pre-Reformation foundations:

61, Augustinian Abbey, Rathkeale, 17 February 2017.

62, Franciscan Friary, Askeaton, 24 January 2017.

63, Holy Trinity Church, Adare, 11 October 2018.

64, Knights’ Templar Commandery, Askeaton, 23 January 2017.

65, Mungret Abbey, Mungret, 31 March 2017.

66, Former Priory of the Knights Templar, Ballingarry, 31 October 2017.

67, Beagh Church, near Ballysteen, 21 March 2018.

68, Former Augustinian friary, Croagh, 2 November 2018.

69, The church ruins, Robertstown, 4 November 2019.

70, The Abbey and church ruins, Castletown Conyers, 13 December 2019.

71, The Collegiate Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, Kilmallock, 13 October 2020.

72, The Dominican Priory, Kilmallock, 13 October 2020.

73, The church ruins and round tower at Dysert Oenghusa, near Croom, 17 October 2020.

74, Mediaeval church ruins, Killeen Cowpark, near Askeaton, 28 October 2020.

75, The site of Saint Cornan’s Church, Castletown, 29 October 2020.

76, The church ruins and graves at Kilbradran, 11 November 2020.

Roman Catholic:

77, Church of Saint Columba and Saint Joseph, Glenstal Abbey, 10 July 2018.

78, Saint Mary’s Church, Askeaton, 30 January 2017.

79, Saint Mary’s Church, Rathkeale, 14 March 2017.

80, Saint Senanus Church, Foynes, 20 March 2017

81, Saint Senan’s Church, Robertsown, 25 March 2017.

82, The Church of the Immaculate Conception, Ballingarry, 2 November 2017.

83, The Church of the Immaculate Conception, Glin, 9 September 2017.

84, Saint Joseph’s Church, Castleconnell, Co Limerick, 20 December 2017.

85, The Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, Kilmallock, 22 April 2019.

86, Saint Patrick’s Church, Ballysteen, 22 July 2019.

87, The Church of Our Lady of the Snows, Broadford, 29 July 2019.

88, Saint Bartholomew’s Church, Dromcollogher, 29 July 2019.

89, The Church of Saint John the Baptist, Nicker, near Pallasgreen, 5 August 2019.

90, Saint Brigid’s Church, Dromkeen, 6 August 2019.

91, The Church of the Holy Trinity, Templeglantine, 14 September 2019.

92, The Church of Saint Oliver Plunkett, Mungret, 6 January 2020.

93, The Church of Saint John the Baptist, Kilcornan, 5 February, 2020.

94, Saint Molua’s Church, Ardagh, 6 February 2020.

95, The Church of the Assumption, Loughill, 6 February 2020.

96, Saint Senan’s Church, Shangolden, 18 August 2020.

97, The Church of the Immaculate Conception, Bruree, 14 October 2020.

98, Saint Mary’s Church, Croom, 17 October 2020.

99, The Church of the Holy Rosary, Murroe, 20 October 2020.

100, Former Saint Anne’s Convent, Sisters of Mercy, Rathkeale, December 2017.

101, Former Oblate Chapel, Cahermoyle House, Ardagh, 8 November 2020.

Methodist Churches:

102, The Methodist Church, Adare, Co Limerick, 26 May 2018.

103, Embury and Heck Memorial Methodist Church, Ballingrane, 15 May 2017.

Church-related buildings:

Limerick City:

1, Bishop’s Palace, Church Street, 24 May 2017.

2, Bishop’s Palace, Henry Street, 11 February 2017.

3, Protestant Orphan Society Hall, Pery Street.

Co Limerick:

4, Askeaton Rectory, 14 February 2017.

5, Castletown Glebehouse, 21 May 2017.

6, Glebe Castle, Rathkeale, probably the residence of the rectors and clergy of Rathkeale, 27 June 2017.

Other faith communities:

7,The Sikh community in Co Limerick, 11 September 2019.

Inside Saint Mary’s Cathedral, Limerick (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2017)

Last updated: 17 November 2020