Dysert

O'Dea O'Dea ( ; ga, Ó Deághaidh, italics=no, formerly ), is an Irish surname derived from ', the name of a tenth-century clan chieftain. O'Dea clan origins The O'Dea clan, also found as O'Day or just Day, came originally from County Clare in Ire ...

Church (

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

: ''Díseart Uí Dheá'' - "the hermitage of Deá") near Corofin in

County Clare County Clare ( ga, Contae an Chláir) is a county in Ireland, in the Southern Region and the province of Munster, bordered on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. Clare County Council is the local authority. The county had a population of 118,81 ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

stands on the site of an early Christian monastery which was reportedly founded by St. Tola in the 8th century. Most of the present structures are from the 12th century.

Architecture

The remains of the monastic site include "St. Tola's Church", a

round tower A fortified tower (also defensive tower or castle tower or, in context, just tower) is one of the defensive structures used in fortifications, such as castles, along with curtain walls. Castle towers can have a variety of different shapes and fu ...

, "St. Tola's Well" and "St. Tola's Cross". The church stands on the site of the original monastery, reportedly founded by St. Tola in the 8th century. The ruined Romanesque structure visible today mainly dates to the 12th century and is over 30 metres long. The lancet windows in the east gable were additions from the early 13th century. The stone arch, showing twelve human and seven animal heads, also dates to the 13th century. Inside the church is the grave of Joan O'Dea, wife of the last clan chieftain, Michael O'Dea (dating to 1684). The late 11th-century round tower was converted into a fortification in the 16th century. It was severely damaged by artillery fire by Cromwellian troops in 1651. Of an estimated original height of around 30 metres, only about a third still remains. An old bronze bell discovered in 1790 was taken to Corofin and sold to pay for the current church bell. In the 1850s, Edward Synge, the local landlord, made repairs to the tower. St. Tola's Well is a pre-Christian well that was the site of an annual pilgrimage on 30 March. In the 1860s the landlord had the well paved over but it was reopened in 1986. A High cross, the so-called "St. Tola's Cross", is located in a field to the east of the church. It dates to the 12th century. The upper part shows the

crucifixion Crucifixion is a method of capital punishment in which the victim is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross or beam and left to hang until eventual death from exhaustion and asphyxiation. It was used as a punishment by the Persians, Carthagi ...

, while on the shaft is the figure of a bishop, with the back and sides showing Irish interlacing work. The cross was knocked over by the Cromwellian soldiers but repaired by Michael O'Dea in 1683. Since he used stones from the church to set up the pedestal, the church building must have fallen into disuse by then. The Synge family again restored the cross in 1871. In 1960, the cross was temporarily dismantled and shipped to Barcelona for an exhibition on Irish art.

Nearby

This monastic site is part of the ''Dysert O'Dea Archaeological Trail''. There are many more historical sites in the immediate vicinity including

O'Dea Castle O'Dea Castle, also known as Dysert O'Dea Castle, is an Irish fortified tower house, loosely described as a castle at Dysert O'Dea (), the former O'Dea clan stronghold, from Corofin, County Clare.ring fort Ringforts, ring forts or ring fortresses are circular fortified settlements that were mostly built during the Bronze Age up to about the year 1000. They are found in Northern Europe, especially in Ireland. There are also many in South Wales ...

s, the remains of a ''

fulacht fiadh A burnt mound is an archaeological feature consisting of a mound of shattered stones and charcoal, normally with an adjacent hearth and trough. The trough could be rock-cut, wood-lined or clay-lined to ensure it was watertight. Radiocarbon ...

'', and the ruins of a stone Victorian house dating from 1861. Synge's Lodge is a ruined guest house, originally built in the

Georgian style Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1714 and 1830. It is named after the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I, George II, Geor ...

not far from the church ruins. The Synge coat of arms with the motto ''Caelesta canimes'' remains over the door. The Synge's local agent lived in nearby Mollaneen House, built c. 1780. This had a

walled garden A walled garden is a garden enclosed by high walls, especially when this is done for horticultural rather than security purposes, although originally all gardens may have been enclosed for protection from animal or human intruders. In temperate ...

and orchard. The

Battle of Dysert O'Dea The Battle of Dysert O'Dea took place on 10 May 1318 at Dysert O'Dea near Corofin, Ireland. It was part of the Bruce campaign in Ireland. The Norman Richard de Clare attacked the Gaelic Irish chieftain Conchobhar Ó Deághaidh, chief of ...

of 1318 took place near the monastic site.

Today

Church, round tower and high cross are today a National Monument of Ireland.

Gallery

File:Dysert O Dea Doorway.jpg, Doorway of St. Tola's Church File:DysertRoundTower.jpg, Dysert O'Dea round tower File:St.Tolas_High_Cross.jpg, St. Tola's Cross File:Dysert cross.jpg, Details of St. Tola's Cross File:Dysert_Victorian_Ruins.jpg, Victorian ruins of Synge's Lodge

References

* ''O'Dea: Ua Deághaidh: The Story of a Rebel Clan'', by Risteárd Ua Cróinín (Richard Cronin), Ballinakella Press, Whitegate, Co. Clare, Ireland, 1992. .

External links