Leaving Certificate Heritage Project

St. Columbas Church

Erected 1871

16th December 2011 Brian Foudy G00275766 DTE 2

Lecturer: Thomas Sheppard External Examiner: Lloyd Scott

Appendices
Cover Page Image: St. Columbas Church across from the river Fergus. Image one: Front view of St. Columbas Church. Image two: Plan view of site circa. 1840 Image three: Plan view of site, present day Image four: 24 Reredos figures behind alter. Image five: stained glass windows at rear of church Image six: : view of the front of the church Image seven: view of back of church

Table of Contents
1: Chapter one: Introduction

2: Chapter two: Location of St. Columbas Church

3: Chapter three: History of St. Columbas Church

4: Chapter four: Conclusion

5: Chapter five: Bibliography

Chapter one: Introduction

The following is a detailed report on a building of historical, cultural and architectural significance. This building is St. Columbas Church and it is situated on Bindon Street, Ennis co. Clare. The report begins with the location of the church today in co. Clare and also a map of the location before the Church was built. The report will then move onto the historical and cultural significance of the Church and then into the types of construction methods involved and any renovations made to the building. I chose St. Columbas church for many reasons. I feel the building has a very interesting history and also is one of the most aesthetically pleasing buildings in the town of Ennis. I felt I would be able to produce a fine model and report on the building that not only will interests me, but will be a great teaching aid in the classroom.

Chapter two: Location of St. Columbas Church

St. Columbas Church is situated on Bindon Street in the town of Ennis co. Clare. The area is now a major business location in the town but regardless the church still sits modestly and in almost complete tranquillity in a small portion of the busy town. The church has played a major feature on this Victorian Street, attracting many tourists to the local area. The location was donated by Francis Bindon who also designed the building.

Plan view of Ennis circa 1840

Site of St. Columbas Church

Plan view of Ennis today

St. Columbas Church

Chapter Three: History of St. Columbas Church

St. Columbas Church was built in 1871 as the new building for the Drumcliffe Parish. The previous location for the Church of Ireland which was the Ennis friary was becoming desolate and running into disrepair. The Friary was built in 1615 and was occupied by Irish monks where the building housed several parishes for Ecclesiastical purposes. The site where the church was built was donated by the Blood family. This family came from England in the early 1800s to fight for Inch Quinn OBrien. Thomas Blood was an infamous Blood figure who was the only person who tried to steal the English Crown Jewels. Another infamous figure and parish member was Marcus Keane, who was a landowner in Ennis and was hated by the people of the town for he oversaw many controversial evictions during Famine and Penal times. Francis Bindon was well known and a very talented painter and architect at the time. An obituary reflection in "Faulkner's Journal" described Bindon as "one of the best painters and architects this nation ever produced. He was a most polite well-bred gentleman and an excellent scholar, which he improved with his travels abroad ." This statement shows the sheer stature of the man in society at the time, so much so in that he was allowed to design the building itself. It is evident that he used a neo-Gothic concept in his overall design and this can be seen from the carving which can be seen on the capitals both inside and outside the church. He was also influenced by the Rector at the time who was Philip Dwyer and this can be seen in the Celtic cross on the roof as well as the Round Tower which acts as a chimney flew for the building. The structure was the very last Anglican Church to be built in Ireland before the Disestablishment of the Church of Ireland by the Irish Church Act 1869. The large size of the building and the fact that it is an example of Gothic Revival architecture shows that Anglicans held a dominant number in Ireland than they are today, although at present they are now part of a growing minority of non-Catholics in co. Clare. The two manual organs in the building which is over 130 years old complete with two sections of organ piping is beautifully decorated with an attractive paint design and was installed circa 1871. It is still functioning and underwent major restoration in the mid 90s. Nigel Bridge plays in the church weekly and it has been noted by many that the building has excellent natural acoustics, this also allows for many cultural and musical events in the

church. In the 1960s a Rectory was added to the building and this holds a beautiful view over the River Fergus in the centre of the town of Ennis. Again the church underwent renovation in the 1980s. A former dean of St. Marys Cathedral Limerick, Maurice Talbot who, during his retirement posting as Rector in St. Columbas church instigated the construction of a foyer which was a small hall with kitchen and toilet facilities from the space at the rear of the building, thus shortening the length of the nave and side aisle and giving the church a chunkier, shallower appearance which has favourably worked for the smaller congregations that assemble for services today. The plaster work inside the building is held in two separate frames of mind; one as a weak point to the overall building due to its flaked and untidy nature, the other as an image of age of the building. Some people find the plasterwork adds a rustic character to the building and find this rather appealing. However, in comparison to similar Church of Ireland buildings in other parts of the country of similar timeline, St. Columbas Church is not as well polished and is falling into disrepair. This is being combated by fundraising and charity events held by parishioners and clergy people of the church. The building, like many Church of Ireland churches has plaques on the walls in memory of leading families and beneficiaries that helped contribute to the construction and upkeep of the church. There is a pyramid shaped mausoleum outside the church which was built by the Blood family who donated the land, for the burial of family remains. Theyre most famous family member; General Sir Bindon Blood is not buried in this location despite a plaque to his name in the foyer but in the nearby parish of Corofin church yard. This was due to the family ties. The bell tower of the building is rarely functioning and serves as an aesthetical feature today. There are many features to be seen inside the church. These include the twenty four reredos figures in ceramic tiling with a mosaic finishing which was behind the alter. These figures were made by Catherine OBrien in the 1930s who was a local artist at the time. The church had many other features which include stained glass windows, the most famous being the west window of Arabic design of Bindon Blood and this was inserted in the 19th century. Rector Canon Bob Hanna is the current rector at the church. He is an Ulsterman who has twelve years of experience in Donegal and has been posted at St. Columbas Church for the last seventeen years. Services held at the church are confined to Sunday mornings at 11.30 am for either Eucharist or morning prayers with lay readers or visiting priests alternating.

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Chapter four: Conclusion

St. Columbas Church on Bindon Street, Ennis co. Clare lies in almost complete isolation in the centre of a busy town unknown to most of its inhabitants but the treasures of architecture and sheer artistic brilliance have made this building infamous to architect, engineer and artist alike and also to tourists all over the world who can find this gem in the epicentre of a busy commercial and business orientated town. It has and will continue to be a major piece in the jigsaw of the culture and history of county Clare.

Chapter Five: Bibliography

www.googlemaps.com

http://www.churchofirelandclare.com/index.php?page=4&lang=EN

http://www.churchofirelandclare.com/index.php?page=4&lang=EN

Rector Bob Hanna St. Columbas Church Ennis.

Rian Na Manach A guided tour of Ecclesiastical Treasures in co. Clare