St Finian's Esker Church And Graveyard
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St Finian's Esker church and graveyard is an historical site in Esker,
Lucan, Dublin Lucan ( ; ga, Leamhcán) is a town in Ireland, located 12 km west of Dublin city centre on the River Liffey. It is near the Strawberry Beds and Lucan Weir, and at the confluence of the River Griffeen. It is mostly under the jurisdiction o ...
. It contains a medieval church in ruins and an enclosed graveyard. The graveyard has over 50 extant memorials from the early 18th century to the early 20th century. Both the church and graveyard are protected structures in the ownership of
South Dublin County Council South Dublin County Council ( ga, Comhairle Contae Átha Cliath Theas) is the authority responsible for local government in the county of South Dublin, Ireland. It is one of three local authorities created by the Local Government (Dublin) Act ...
.


Location and history

Situated in the suburban area of Esker, County Dublin near Lucan village. The church and graveyard are sited on a hill with views of the surrounding area. The location is significant as it on the
Esker Riada The Esker Riada ( ga, Eiscir Riada) is a system of eskers that stretch across the middle of Ireland, between Dublin and Galway. Geography The Esker Riada is a collection of eskers that passes through the counties of Dublin, Meath, Kildare, Wes ...
along the Slighe Mhór, one of the five main ancient routes through the country. Esker was one of four Medieval Royal Manors of Dublin. The church is near the site of the original Manor House of Esker and an ancient stone bridge constructed in the reign of
King John of England King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the t ...
, locally referred to as King John’s Bridge. The church and graveyard are recorded in the
National Inventory of Architectural Heritage The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (NIAH) maintains a central database of the architectural heritage of the Republic of Ireland covering the period since 1700 in complement to the Archaeological Survey of Ireland, which focuses on ar ...
and by the National Monument Service of Ireland. It is a
nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...
and
chancel In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar, including the choir and the sanctuary (sometimes called the presbytery), at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may terminate in an apse. Ov ...
style parish church and has been reconstructed over many periods of use.


Features

The church is long and narrow. Records show it was re-roofed in the 16th century but was in ruin by the early 17th century. The west gable wall is
buttress A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall. Buttresses are fairly common on more ancient buildings, as a means of providing support to act against the lateral ( ...
ed and likely supported a double
bellcote A bellcote, bell-cote or bell-cot is a small framework and shelter for one or more bells. Bellcotes are most common in church architecture but are also seen on institutions such as schools. The bellcote may be carried on brackets projecting from ...
, it has a long and narrow
embrasure An embrasure (or crenel or crenelle; sometimes called gunhole in the domain of gunpowder-era architecture) is the opening in a battlement between two raised solid portions (merlons). Alternatively, an embrasure can be a space hollowed out ...
. There is a double
ogee arch An ogee ( ) is the name given to objects, elements, and curves—often seen in architecture and building trades—that have been variously described as serpentine-, extended S-, or sigmoid-shaped. Ogees consist of a "double curve", the combinatio ...
window in the South wall. Only the foundations of the East wall remains. There is a short horizontal length of herringbone masonry in the North wall which is uncommon in Irish churches.


Notable memorials

There are several notable memorials including one for a priest, Father James McCartan who was
interred Burial, also known as interment or inhumation, is a method of final disposition whereby a dead body is placed into the ground, sometimes with objects. This is usually accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing the deceased and objec ...
here following his murder in nearby Lucan in 1807. Another distinctive memorial depicts a carved skull and crossbones in a memento mori motif. A transcription of the gravestones was published in 1989 and contains records of approximately 60 memorials.


Conservation

In 2019 the site was selected as the first Dublin monument in the
Heritage Council The Heritage Council ( ga, An Comhairle Oidhreachta) is an organisation created by the Irish government to "engage, educate and advocate to develop a wider understanding of the vital contribution that our heritage makes to our social, environmenta ...
"Adopt a Monument" scheme. In October 2020 conservation work commenced to stabilise the structure. Funding was provided by the National Monuments Service Community Monuments Fund through the
Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage ( ga, An Roinn Tithíochta, Rialtais Áitiúil agus Oidhreachta) is a department of the Government of Ireland. It is led by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage who is ...
and also supported by South Dublin County Council.


Gallery

File:St. Finian's Church, Lucan.jpg, West wall (exterior) File:St. Finian's Church, Lucan 2.jpg, West wall (interior) File:St. Finian's Church, Lucan 3.jpg, Church interior facing west File:St. Finian's Church, Lucan 4.jpg, North wall (exterior) File:St. Finian's Church, Lucan 5.jpg, Northwest corner (exterior) File:St. Finian's Church, Lucan 6.jpg, South wall (interior) File:St. Finian's Church, Lucan 7.jpg, Northwest corner (exterior)


References

{{Authority control Archaeological sites in County Dublin Religion in County Dublin