Mansfieldstown Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. Mary's Church, Mansfieldstown |
|
|---|---|
| Mansfieldstown Church | |
|
Eaglais Mhuire
|
|
 |
|
 St. Mary's Church, Mansfieldstown
Location in Ireland
|
|
| 53°53′49″N 6°26′45″W / 53.896892°N 6.445712°W | |
| Location | Mansfieldstown, Castlebellingham, County Louth |
| Country | Ireland |
| Denomination | Church of Ireland |
| Previous denomination | Catholic |
| History | |
| Dedication | Mary, mother of Jesus |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | inactive |
| Heritage designation | |
| Official name | Mansfieldstown Church |
| Reference no. | 480 |
| Style | Late Gothic |
| Completed | 1691 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Rubble stone |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Armagh |
St. Mary's Church, Mansfieldstown is an old church in County Louth, Ireland. It is considered a National Monument, which means it's a very important historical site.
Contents
Where is St. Mary's Church?
Mansfieldstown Church is found about 3.7 kilometers (2.3 miles) west of Castlebellingham. It sits on the north side of the River Glyde.
A Look at History
Early Beginnings
The name Mansfieldstown comes from the Maundeville family. They were Anglo-Normans who settled here after the year 1172. We know there was a church here as early as 1299. This information comes from old church records called Papal Registers.
In 1349, a religious leader named Archbishop Richard FitzRalph gave a sermon at Mansfieldstown. This was during the time of the Black Death, a terrible sickness that spread across Europe. By 1640, the church was reported to be in ruins.
Building the Current Church
The Mansfieldstown Old Church you see today was built in 1691. This was after the famous Battle of the Boyne in Ireland. However, parts of the church are much older. It includes a beautiful east window from the 15th century. This window is made in the Late Gothic style.
Over the years, especially in the 1800s, many changes and additions were made to the church. There used to be a large, decorated baptismal font here from the 15th century. A font is a special basin used for baptisms. This old font is now in St. Mary's Parish Church in Ardee.
What the Church Looks Like
Mansfieldstown Church has a simple design. It has one main room that combines the nave (where people sit) and the chancel (the area near the altar). At the west end of the church, there is a bell-cote. This is a small structure that holds a bell.
The church's east window is a great example of Late Gothic style. It has special stone patterns called tracery. You can also see two stone masks on the window. These are called label-stops. There is a third mask at the very top of the window.
