Tuesday 17 October 2023

Saint Cualan's Bell Shrine, a Tipperary oddity in Borrisoleigh

Saint Cualan's Bell Shrine

A Tipperary Oddity at Borrisoleigh

Borrisoleigh in Tipperary is a small village where quite by accident I came across an unusual item.

This was a perfect replica of Saint Cualan's Bell Shrine.

Originally the little Bell Shrine would have been used to house the Bell itself.

It is also referred to as the Bearnán Chúláin Bell Shrine amongst other names as well.

The little oddity is located in the Roman Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart.

Little is known of Saint Cualan and indeed this name may be a corruption of an entirely different spelling.

He is reputed to have been from nearby Glenkeen.

The Bell Shrine has sometimes been described as one of the most important pieces of medieval ecclesiastical metalwork in Ireland along with Saint Manchan's Shrine at Boher in Offally.

It is intricately decorated in the Scandanivian Urnes style with Niello decoration and believed to date from circa 11th/12th Century. The Bell it once housed may have dated back to the 7th Century.

There are two carved human heads on opposing sides near the top and there is clearly the outline of a Cross on the front which once adorned the Shrine but was stolen at some stage in its history.

As far as I am aware the original Shrine is in the British Museum and the museum had a replica made and given to the Church. Prior to ending up at the British Museum it had been located in Birr, County Offaly in the possession of one Thomas Cooke.

Before Thomas Cooke came into its possession it was discovered hidden inside the hollow of a tree.

Cooke was originally from the Borrisoleigh area in Tipperary which may help explain his subsequent possession of the Shrine at Birr.

The Sacred Heart Church itself is also a hidden gem.

It has some stunningly beautiful mosaic tiling by the Chancel which appeared to my untrained eye to have an oriental or middle eastern influence.

My photographs didn't captured them properly at all so I haven't included those particular photos.

There is also a beautiful wooden ceiling above the Chancel almost like a timber cupola.

The church is full of interesting and colourful Stained Glass windows including several from the workshops of Joshua Clarke and Sons of 33 North Fredrick Street in Dublin.

Joshua was the father of renowned Stained Glass artist Harry Clarke.

Located in the Church grounds there is also an old Fountain/Water Pump and trough erected originally by the Sanitary Authority of 1856.

Just outside the Church is a glass window showing the old Pub and Publican James Ryan, who had a Licence to sell alcohol on the premises.

There are not too many of these old glass Pub signs still around although occasionally you do come across them here and there.

They serve as a nice reminder of the recent past and it's great to see some of them still surviving "in situ".

Located at the corned of this building which once served as a Public House is an almost imperceptible Mile Stone/ Mile Marker.

It gives the distance to Templemore as 5 Miles and three Furlongs and is probably from around the early 1800's.

Again its another interesting relic from the past and days when most travel was undertaken on Horseback, walking or Horse and Carriage.

It was originally a Wheel Guard, aka "Jostle Stone" and was repurposed as a milemarker.

Unfortunately I didn't get to spend very long in Borrisoleigh so I guess that gives me a good an excuse as any for another visit at some time in the future.

It's a lovely little village well worth visiting and I suppose you could always incorporate a nice short walk up the nearby "Devils Bit".

Keep the wheels turning.

Below are some photographs from the British Museum and a few more of mine of the Church itself and its Stained Glass windows.