Kilfane Church
Kilfane Church is a medieval church and National Monument in County Kilkenny, Ireland.[1]
| Kilfane Church | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cell-Phaain | |||||||||
Cill Pháin | |||||||||
 | |||||||||
  Kilfane Church | |||||||||
| 52.554167°N 7.118333°W | |||||||||
| Location | Kilfane Demesne, Kilfane, County Kilkenny | ||||||||
| Country | Ireland | ||||||||
| Denomination | Church of Ireland | ||||||||
| Previous denomination | Pre-Reformation Catholic | ||||||||
| History | |||||||||
| Founder(s) | Cantwell family | ||||||||
| Architecture | |||||||||
| Functional status | inactive | ||||||||
| Style | Late Gothic | ||||||||
| Years built | 13th century | ||||||||
| Specifications | |||||||||
| Length | 22 m (72 ft) | ||||||||
| Width | 7 m (23 ft) | ||||||||
| Materials | stone | ||||||||
| Administration | |||||||||
| Diocese | Ossory | ||||||||
| |||||||||
Location
Kilfane Church is located 3.4 km (2.1 mi) north-northeast of Thomastown.[2]
History
The area is supposed to derive its name from a Saint Phian.
The church was built in the 13th century. The Cantwells were Lords of Kilfane and adjoining areas from shortly after the Norman conquest to the confiscations following the Confederation.[3]
Poet Deirdre Brennan wrote a poem about Kilfane Church in 2001.[4]
Church
Kilfane Church is a long rectangle with sedilia, altar, book rest and piscina. The sedilia is believed to come from an older church and still has some medieval paint. Three original doorways in the north and south walls are headed by ogee stones.
The castellated bell tower at the east end may have housed the presbytery/sacristy and provided residents in the upper storeys.
The main feature is the Cantwell Fada, an effigy of a knight from the 1320s/30s;[5] this would have been intended to lie horizontally as a cover to his tomb, but is now set vertically. [6][7]
References
- Hourihane, Colum (6 December 2012). The Grove Encyclopedia of Medieval Art and Architecture. OUP USA. ISBN 9780195395365 – via Google Books.
- "Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland". The Society. 1 January 1855 – via Google Books.
- "Kilfane Church - Attractions - Museums and Attractions - All Ireland - Republic of Ireland - Kilkenny - Thomastown - Discover Ireland".
- Brennan, Deirdre (1 January 2001). The Hen Party. Lapwing Publications. ISBN 9781898472551 – via Google Books.
- "Kilfane Church".
- Jackman, Neil (12 June 2015). "The best medieval statue in Ireland is 8ft tall and in a ruined church in Kilkenny…". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
- "Kilfane Church, Kilkenny".