The Corpus of ROMANESQUE SCULPTURE in Britain & Ireland
Laois (now)
Round tower
The site of an early monastery, founded in the 7thc by St Mochua mac Lonan. All that remains from the monastic era are remnants of a church, built into a later castle, and the well-preserved round tower. This has a fine Romanesque doorway and retains a conical cap, the latter partially rebuilt in 1880-1. There are four triangular-headed windows at the top, with three further windows at various points lower down. The base is furnished with a plinth with three steps. The masonry varies from sections of well-dressed ashlar to more randomly coursed rubble.
Church (ruin)
A nave and chancel church, built in three phases, of roughly coursed limestone, measuring 19.1m x 6.5m. The W doorway retains traces of 12thc. mouldings.
The lowermost courses of what could have been a 12thc. chancel arch also survive.
Church (ruin)
Ruined church of simple rectangular plan, with an internal length of approximately 27.5m. The 12thc building was considerably shorter, since there is evidence to show that the chancel was an addition. According to Comerford, the E end of the building was adapted as the local Protestant church at the beginning of the 18thc., alterations which may have involved the demolition of the Romanesque chancel arch, if such a feature existed. Large sections of the N and S walls are now missing. The E wall, detached from the rest of the ruins, contains a small late Gothic window, comprising a pair of ogee-headed lights. The W wall, which has antae at the angles, contains one of the most delicately worked Romanesque portals in Ireland.
There is historical evidence for a round tower, which was deliberately demolished in 1703. According to Comerford (1882), the 'ornamental stones of the doors and windows' of the tower could still be seen in 'little houses in the neighbourhood'. None of these carvings have been located. Given the ornate treatment of the W doorway, it is likely that the church once had a similarly decorated chancel arch.
Church (ruin)
A medieval church built within a D-shaped enclosure. A variety of features associated with the earlier foundation survive. One scallop capital of the Romanesque period remains, as well as a moulded jambstone. Another Romanesque fragment is recorded in the graveyard wall (Sweetman et al) however this was not located.