St. Maelruain's Church, Tallaght facts for kids
St. Maelruain's Church is a historic church in Tallaght, South Dublin, Ireland. It is part of the Church of Ireland. This church stands on the very spot where an ancient monastery was founded many centuries ago. The church building you see today was built in 1829. It replaced an even older church, but its tall tower is still from that earlier time!
Contents
History of the Church Site
Ancient Beginnings
People have worshipped on this site for over 1200 years! A Celtic saint named Maelruain started a monastery here in the 700s. This monastery became a very important place for spiritual life. A group called the Ceilí Dé (meaning "servants of God") had their main base here.
Challenges Over Time
In 1662, the church received money because it had been damaged. During a time called the Cromwellian invasion of Ireland in 1651, a Captain Alland and his soldiers stayed there. He took the roof, wood, and seats from the church 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!
Community Projects
In 1985, the Tallaght Youth Service started a project. Young people who were looking for jobs helped survey the graves and graveyard at the church. This gave them valuable work experience to help them find permanent jobs. They published their findings in a booklet the next year, which also shared the history of the wider Tallaght area. The information from the gravestones was put into a digital format in 2021.
Features of the Church
Church Design
This church was designed by an architect named John Semple. Its unique spiked roofline is different from other churches built around the same time. The church is named after St. Máel Ruain, who founded the original Tallaght Monastery. Even though the monastery was on a slightly different spot, the older tower of the medieval parish church is still standing today. Experts say this multi-period site is "of the utmost importance."
The Church Tower
The church tower is four storeys high and has a spiral staircase inside. An outside staircase leads to the first floor, and the spiral stairs go up to the floors above. The third floor has a stone ceiling shaped like a dome. Above this is a flat roof and a small turret.
Ancient Stone Features
- St. Maelruain's Losset: On the left inside the churchyard gate, you'll find a special stone basin called St. Maelruain's Losset. This is a wide, shallow granite stone trough. The word Losat is an old Irish word for a wooden trough used long ago for kneading bread. People likely named it this because it looked similar to the troughs they used at home.
- St. Maelruain's Cross: South of the font is St. Maelruain's Cross. It's a small, ancient cross set into a stone base. This base looks like a millstone. The base and pedestal were once known as Moll Rooney's loaf and griddle, and the font was called Moll Rooney's Losset.
The Graveyard
The graveyard has many old tombstones, mostly from the 1700s and 1800s, and some even older. One grave belongs to Colonel John Talbot of Belgard, who was part of King James II of England's Parliament and fought in many important battles. The graves of famous artists Oisin Kelly, Evie Hone, and Elizabeth Rivers are in the newer part of St. Maelruain's graveyard. South Dublin County Council surveyed the graves, recording their locations, condition, and details from the headstones.
Also buried here is George Otto Simms, who was the Archbishop of Dublin from 1956 to 1969, and then the Archbishop of Armagh from 1969 to 1980. His wife, Mercy Felicia née Gwynn, is also buried with him.
The Fosse
You can also see the remains of the fosse in the church grounds. This was an ancient curved bank that surrounded Maelruain's monastery. The best place to see it is from the car park behind Smith's Toystore.
