School: Ardcath (roll number 1903)
- Location:
- Ardcath, Co. Meath
- Teacher: Seosamh S. Ó Duinnithín
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0685, Page 141
Image and data © National Folklore Collection, UCD.
See copyright details.
DownloadOpen data
Available under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Note: We will soon deprecate our XML Application Programming Interface and a new, comprehensive JSON API will be made available. Keep an eye on our website for further details.
On this page
- The magnificent old church is situated on the lofty hill of Ardcath, from which the tourist can behold the ancient territory of Cianachta, Magh-Breagh and the numerous abbeys, churches, and castles, where, in days gone by, were congregated the learning, piety and chivalry of Eastern Midhe. The church is quadrangular, seperated into sanctuary and nave by a triumphal or choir arch of large dimensions. The nave measures sixty four feet nternally by nineteen feet ten inches. The sanctuary is forty three feet eight inches in length. The choir arch, which is of immense height to the centre, measures eleven feet seven inches at the base. The arch is three feet seven inches in depth. There are two doorways, one on the north and the other on the south of the nave. There is a doorway on the southside of the sanctuary which led from the sacristy. The walls of the church are undiminished, and the whole ruin, although roofless and no longer filled, unless by the numerous dead, is still in a wonderful state of preservation. The eastern or altar window, judging from what remains, must have been gorgeous, and on the western end a bell is still suspended which announces of the parishioners and summons the congregation to worship in the neighbouring Catholic Church. The old bell of Ardcath survived the plunder of the Reformation, tolled away during the penal days, lived to see the Emancipation and only retired from active service a few years ago.
- The number interred here is very great, as the country adjoining has been very populous and Ardcath, from its Catholic traditions, has been regarded as a cherished resting-place. Of the pastors of Ardcath, here sleep Rev. John Pentony, Rev. Edward Carolan, Rev. Nicholas Purfield, vicar-forane, and Rev. John Leonard. Tje Rev. Patrick Langan parish priest of Ratoath; Rev. William Harford, parish priest of St. Mary's Drogheda; Rev. Christopher Halligan parish priest of Skryne; Rev. Nicholas Shiel, professor of the Navan(continues on next page)
