Situated in a field that was at one time the site of a sixth-century monastery, the current Church of St Carthage dates from the twelfth century and is one of the oldest churches in Ireland still used for worship. The current roof of the chancel, dating from the fifteenth century, is constructed in vaulted stonework having replaced an earlier croft, which was served by a mural staircase in the thickness of the east wall. Many historic layers of change and alteration, contained within this minute two-cell, nave and chancel church had been concealed from view by hard cement-rich coatings to the exterior and interior.
With grant assistance from the Heritage and local councils; and the DOE, we oversaw the removal of all damaging cement followed by delicate lime repairs to the historic masonry. We also prepared stone accurate drawings of all elevations to help understand the building sequence and also produced a comprehensive Conservation Plan published by the Heritage Council. A stained glass window and several joinery elements dating from a restoration carried out in the 1920s were repaired, new lighting installed, external works carried out and a new carved stone threshold installed to record the most recent repairs.
Many historic layers of change and alteration, contained within this minute two-cell, nave and chancel church had been concealed from view by hard cement-rich coatings to the exterior and interior
