St. Maelruain's Church, Tallaght facts for kids
St. Maelruain's Church is a special church in Tallaght, South Dublin, Ireland. It belongs to the Church of Ireland. This church stands on the same spot where a very old monastery, the Tallaght Monastery, once stood. The church you see today was built in 1829. It replaced an even older church that had a tower, which is still standing!
A Long History
People have been worshipping God at this spot for over 1,200 years! A Celtic saint named Maelruain started a monastery here in the 8th century. This monastery became a very important place for spiritual life. It was the main home for a group called the Ceilí Dé, also known as Culdees, who were "servants of God."
In 1662, the church received money because it had been damaged. During a time of war in 1651, a soldier named Captain Alland used the church for his troops. He took the roof, timber, and pews to build his own house. He even used the church's paving stones for his kitchen entrance and fed his horses from the church's special water basin, called a font!
Cool Features of the Church
The church was designed by an architect named John Semple. Its roofline is quite unique compared to other churches built around the same time. The church is named after St. Máel Ruain, who founded the original monastery. Even though the monastery was a bit away from the church, the old tower from the medieval church is still there today. Experts say this whole site is "of the utmost importance" because of its long history.
The tower is four stories tall. It has a spiral staircase inside that lets you go up to the different floors. There's also an outside staircase to reach the first floor. The third floor has a cool stone ceiling.
Just inside the churchyard gate, on the left, you'll find a special stone basin called St. Maelruain's Losset. This is a wide, shallow granite trough. The word Losat is an old Irish word for a wooden trough used to knead bread. People probably named it this because it looked like the bread troughs they used at home.
South of the font is St. Maelruain's Cross. It's a small, very old cross set into a stone base. This base looks a bit like a millstone. Long ago, the base and pedestal were called "Moll Rooney's loaf and griddle," and the font was called "Moll Rooney's Losset."
The Graveyard
The churchyard has many old tombstones. Most are from the 1700s and 1800s, but some are even older, from the 1600s! One grave belongs to Colonel John Talbot. He was a member of Parliament for King James II of England and fought in many important battles.
Some famous artists are also buried in the newer part of the graveyard at St. Maelruain's. These include Oisin Kelly, Evie Hone, and Elizabeth Rivers. The local council, South Dublin County Council, has even studied the graves. They recorded where each grave is, what condition it's in, and details from the readable headstones.
Another important person buried here is George Otto Simms. He was an Archbishop of Dublin and later an Archbishop of Armagh, which are very high positions in the Church of Ireland. His wife, Mercy Felicia, is also buried with him.
The Ancient Bank
You can also see the remains of the fosse in the church grounds. This was an old curved bank that surrounded Maelruain's monastery a long, long time ago. The best place to see it is from the car park behind Smith's Toystore.
