Donaghcumper Church
| Donaghcumper Church | |
|---|---|
| Old Donaghcumper Church; Donacomper, Donnacompare, Donnacompar, Dennycomfert, Downecumper, Donaghcomper, Donocomfert, Donocomper | |
Domhnach Compair[1] | |
 East end with ogee windows | |
  Donaghcumper Church Location in Greater Dublin  Donaghcumper Church Location in Ireland | |
| 53°20′23″N6°31′41″W/ 53.339782°N 6.527978°W | |
| Location | Donaghcumper,Celbridge,County Kildare |
| Country | Ireland |
| Denomination | Church of Ireland |
| Previous denomination | Pre-Reformation Catholic |
| History | |
| Founded | 12th century |
| Dedication | Saint Brigid[2] |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | ruined |
| Closed | 18th century |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | limestone, mortar |
| Administration | |
| Province | Dublin and Cashel |
| Diocese | Dublin and Glendalough |
| Parish | Celbridge & Straffan with Newcastle Lyons |
Donaghcumper Churchis a ruined medieval church inCelbridge,Ireland.[3]On theRecord of Monuments and Placesit bears the codeKD011-013.[4][5]
Location[edit]
Donaghcumper Church is located 800 m (½ mile) east of Celbridge town centre, on theR403 road(Dublin Road).[6][7][8]
History[edit]
This may have been a Christian site as early as the 5th century. The name means "church of the confluence"; the wordDomhnach(from Latindominica,"of the Lord" ) is traditionally assumed (due to a note in the 9th-centuryBook of Armagh) to belong to the earliest churches in Ireland.[9]The River Shinkeen, a small stream, enters theRiver Liffey550 m to the north of Donaghcumper. ADomnach Combairappears in theVita tripartita Sancti Patricii(9th century), although that appears to be located inDál nAraidi,in the northeast of Ireland.[10]
The earliest part of the church was built c. 1150–60, around the time of theNorman invasion of Ireland.In 1202 control of the church was given toSt. Wolstan's Prioryby the de Hereford family (Adam de Herefordand descendants). Cut-stone windows were added in the 14th century (c. 1340).[11]
The church was suppressed in theReformationand the lands acquired byJohn Alan,Lord Chancellor of Ireland.He was buried at Donaghcumper in 1561, as was his nephew John Alen in 1616, and John's sonSir Thomas Alen, 1st Baronetin 1627. Donaghcumper became aChurch of Ireland(Anglican Protestant) church and was active for about 200 years.[12]In 1690, a James Warren was parish priest.
A sketch of 1770 shows the church with a roof and a tower in the west end. A map of 1783 lists the site asCh. Rs.(church ruins) and the 1897 map lists it as ruinous.[13]However, the church is surrounded by a still-active graveyard; the earliest-dated grave still legible is that of a Nicholas Walsh, died 1711.
In 2000 some renovation took place, and in 2017 funding of€7,500 was allocated.[14][15]
Buildings[edit]
Portions of thenaveandchancelremain. The Alen vault is located at the east end of the chancel. The eastgablehas anogeewindow, and the west gable has abelfry.A round semicircular arch divides nave and chancel, and there is a gabled porch in the south end and apiscinain the east. Of the tower in the west, only one wall remains.[16]The buildings are held up by temporary buttresses and the church is fenced off to avoid injury to the public.
References[edit]
- ^"Domhnach Compair/Donaghcumper".Logainm.ie.
- ^Gilbert, John Thomas (15 November 2012).Register of the Abbey of St Thomas, Dublin.Cambridge University Press.ISBN9781108053396– via Google Books.
- ^Ireland, Royal Society of Antiquaries of (13 November 2018)."The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland".The Society – via Google Books.
- ^"Archived copy"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 24 May 2019.Retrieved13 November2018.
{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^"Hermann Geissel's Personal Web Site".crsbooks.net.
- ^"Archived copy"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 13 November 2018.Retrieved13 November2018.
{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^Kildare: History and Society.Geography Publications. 1 January 2006.ISBN9780906602577– via Google Books.
- ^"Holdings: Donacomper Church".sources.nli.ie.1896.
- ^Moore, Peter (13 November 2018).Valhalla and the Fjšrd: A Spiritual Motorcycle Journey through the History of Strangford Lough.Lulu.ISBN9781909906266– via Google Books.
- ^Patrick, Saint; Stokes, Whitley (13 November 1887)."The Tripartite life of Patrick: with other documents relating to that saint".London: Printed for H.M. Stationery Office., by Eyre and Spottiswoode – via Internet Archive.
- ^"Churches & Monasteries – Kildare Local History. ie".kildarelocalhistory.ie.
- ^Society, County Kildare Archaeological (13 November 1899).Journal of the Co. Kildare Archaeological Society and Surrounding Districts.The Society – via Internet Archive.
Donnacomper.
- ^Castlehunter (1 June 2013)."Ireland In Ruins: Old Donaghcumper Church Co Kildare".
- ^Now, Kildare."Co Kildare medieval church gets restoration funding - Kildare Now".
- ^"Kildare pubs and churches among buildings to receive heritage grant cash".
- ^"Donaghcumper by William Kirkpatrick (1896)".5 February 2013.
