The old Knockmourne Church, Conna

 

The present parish of Conna is made of 5 pre-Reformation parishes. They were Aghern, Knockmourne, Mogeely North, Templevalley and Ballynoe. The present Church of Ireland parish of Knockmourne is served by St Luke’s church in Curraheen, to the east of the village. However, its forerunner, a ruined church, is located in the townland of the Glebe, to the west. The Glebe is only a little over 4 acres in size and is the smallest townland in the parish of Conna.

1) Just to the west of the old church there are traces of the foundations of a much earlier Christian church. It is believed that this church was associated with St. Chuaran, who dates from the 7th Century. Knockmourne derives its name from the saint, Cnoc-moChuaran meaning Chuaran’s Hill. It is likely that St. Chuaran was the patron saint of the pre-Reformation parish of Knockmoume. The townland of Kilcoran in the north of the parish also gets its name from St.Chuaran.

The original part of this present church was built in the l2th Century. There is a tradition that there was an abbey established here by the Knights Hospitallers of St. John relating to the Crusades and L’Estrange in his book “Conna & Desmond” talks of “white-robed monks with long beards singing anthems in soft Italian accents with swords and armour under red-crossed gowns”. Unfortunately, there is no evidence to support this scenario. It is likely that Knockmourne church was confused with Mourneabbey, near Mallow, which indeed did have a church founded by the Knights Hospitallers.

3) The church itself is approx. 17 metres long and 8.5 metres wide. There is evidence of much alteration and rebuilding at different times. The church was originally a larger building and a west gable was inserted at some stage. A shallow rectangular chancel was also added to the east gable. The north and south walls also show signs of repair. There is an arched medieval doorway in the south wall and there are two narrow windows in the north wall. There are traces of base batter on the south elevation.

4) It is probable that everything was peaceful in this church until the upheaval of the Reformation around 1540 when Henry Viii set up the State Protestant Church in Ireland. This building was taken over along with other Catholic churches all over the country and Tithes were then to be paid to Protestant ministers. Apparently the building was entirely burnt down by the White Knight in the Desmond Rebellion in 1570. It was later restored but was again destroyed in the Insurrection of 1641. Church of Ireland services continued to be held in the building until the end of the 1700’s when the building became derelict. In the early 1800’s services were held in a small schoolhouse near the gateway entrance and later in the old market house in Conna which is now the dispensary. Finally in 1815 a new church was built in Curraheen and services have been held there ever since.

5) Cork County Council has responsibility for the upkeep of the property but in fact the Corporation of Waterford are the legal owners of Knockmourne church and graveyard. In November 1584 Knockmourne was granted to the mayor, sheriffs and citizens of Waterford and the Rectorial Tithes were paid to them.

6) The first recorded clergyman’s name is John Bride who appears as Vicar of Knockmourne in 1591.

7) Some notable clergymen were Thomas Spread Campion and his son Robert Deane Campion who served here between 1795 and 1876 which is 81 years. However taking into account that the son was also Curate for 21 years while the father was Vicar gives the two of them a combined service at Knockmourne of 102 years. Robert Campion married Mary Charlotte Nason of Thomhill where Pat and Margaret O’Leary now live.

8) Both Catholics and Protestants were buried here long before the services ceased in the church. It seemed that this was a common occurrence in many graveyards with each denomination having their own allotment. The McCarthy family from Clashagannive have headstones dating back to 1745. Descendants of that family still reside not too far away in Coole, The Joyce family of Aghern are mentioned at least as far back as 1777.

10) Three sisters Avis, Joanna and Jane Germaine who died in a fire in Conna Castle in 1653 are buried here. An old tombstone to their memory said they “went up to heaven like Elijah in a chariot of fire”. Rev. Thomas Campion discovered the tombstone in 1850. In the ground beneath he found a silver urn containing ashes. The tombstone was later broken and the urn disappeared.

11) There is an underground family vault close to the East gable of the church. It has a ramp leading down to it and an iron gate protecting it. Unfortunately the entrance is now covered over with rubbish. The vault belongs to Rev. Stephen Rolleston and family of Bridepark House where the Kelleher family now live. Rev Rolleston who died in 1780 ministered in Knockmourne parish for 38 years. Buried there are his wife Dorothea and  his son Rev. James Rolleston. Also buried there are his daughter Elizabeth, her husband Rev. John Macbeth and their son John. Their details are inscribed on horizontal slabs just to the East of the family vault.

12) There is an unusual monument in the South East section of the graveyard. It commemorates Mary Carey who died in 1844 aged 11. The grave is surrounded by a 4 foot high wall with access over a stile on the South wall. There is an inscribed plaque on the gable-shaped West wall

13) A more recent notable grave is that of Liam Heffernan who was a native of this locality. . He served in the War of Independence and was based in Midleton. He was shot dead by a member of the Royal Irish Constabularly in Castlemartyr on November 27th 1920. He was 22 years of age. There is also a monument to him in Castlemartyr.

Tom Finn