Survey Data
Reg No
30805029
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Architectural, Artistic, Social, Technical
Original Use
Church/chapel
In Use As
Church/chapel
Date
1880 - 1890
Coordinates
188935, 339719
Date Recorded
14/07/2003
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Detached Roman Catholic church, built c.1885 by architect William Hague, comprising five-bay nave, six-bay side aisles, two-bay chancel and four-stage bell tower with castellations. Pitched slate roof with cross finials and stone coping and cast-iron rainwater goods. Pyramidal slate roof to bell tower with weather vane. Coursed rock-faced limestone walls with buttresses and string courses. Dressed and carved limestone door and window surrounds. Paired pointed-arched windows to side aisles and ogee-headed windows to clerestorey with rose window and pair of traceried pointed windows in west gable and four-light traceried window in east end with hood moulding with corbel stops. Single and paired ogee-headed and pointed windows to tower. Pointed-arched door opening in tower with hood moulding and corbel stops. Shouldered-arched door opening in west gable with sculpted tympanum with figures and foliage and with timber battened double doors. Four-bay vestry with triple-ogee light, carved stone chimney and recent extension to south-east corner of chancel. Church is set back from road on an elevated site with grave markers of parish priests ranging in date from 1887 to 1967. Bounded by snecked rock-faced wall with dressed coping and dressed gate piers with stone cross finials. rave marker to front of Church of Rev. John Maguire reads "Pray for the soul of very Rev. John Maguire DDVC, A native of this parish of Cloonclare of which he was Pastor from 1866 to 1904. He erected this Church in 1883, it was destroyed by the storm 1884 and rebuilt by him 1886, died 14th February 1904 in the 87th year of his age and 60th year of his sacred ministry. R.I.P"
Appraisal
On an elevated position, the scale and form of St. Clare's Church, enhanced by buttresses, a tower and stonework, makes a strong architectural and religious statement. Designed by William Hague, the rock-faced masonry and decorative stone detailing is of merit. Enriched by stained glass windows and timber doors, St. Clare's is exemplary of nineteenth-century church architecture.