Castletown Church of Ireland Church

John M Feheney, 4 March, 2013

Introduction

Castletown Church of Ireland (hereafter abbreviated to C of I) church is notable as being one of the buildings designed and erected by the famous architect, James Pain (1779-1877). The commissioning body for the church was the Board of First Fruits, an organisation that had come into existence in Ireland in 1711. In 1777, however, legislation was passed by the Irish parliament enabling it to give money regularly to this Board. The intention was that it would then give grants and loans for the erection of C of I churches and Glebe Houses and, additionally, give financial aid to needy C of I clergy. As time went by, the Government subventions to the Board increased and this led to a period of intensive church building. During the period 1779-1829, the Board of First Fruits built, rebuilt or enlarged 697 C of I churches in Ireland in addition to 829 Glebe Houses.  Both Castletown C of I Glebe House and Castletown C of I church were beneficiaries of the Board of First Fruits.[1]

Waller Contribution

The most significant benefactor in the Castletown C of I church building project was John Waller (1763-1836), owner of Castetown Manor and estate. This John was the son of John T Waller and Elizabeth Maunsell, and he later became a Member of Parliament for Limerick. He married Isabella Oliver of Castle Oliver and was a Captain in the Kerry Cavalry, one of regiments raised by the gentry during the era of Grattan’s Volunteers. He was interred in the Waller Vault in Castletown cemetery. He was succeeded by his brother, Bolton Waller.[2]

         The Castletown church cost a total of £1,500, £700 of which, together with the site, was an outright gift from John Waller. Moreover, Waller undertook to pay off the balance of £800, which had been obtained as a loan from the Board of First Fruits.

James Pain

Before we look in detail at Pain’s work in the Castletown church, we must take a quick look at his overall contribution to architecture in Ireland and in county Limerick in particular. James Pain, son of James Pain, a surveyor and builder, was born in Isleworth, Middlesex, in 1779. He and his younger brother, George (1792-1838), were apprenticed to architect, John Nash. They came to Ireland in 1811 to supervise the building of Lough Cutra Castle, Gort, which Nash had designed for Charles Vereker. Both brothers settled in Ireland and built up a considerable practice, James settling in Limerick, while George lived in Cork. Among the notable buildings they designed were Dromoland Castle; St Mary Shandon Church, Cork; St Patrick’s church, Cork; Holy Trinity Church, Cork; Blackrock Castle, Cork; Baal’s bridge, Thomond bridge, Athlunkard bridge, all three in Limerick; Limerick Gaol and Adare Manor (part). In 1824, James Pain was appointed architect for the Board of First Fruits in Munster and he designed and built a great number of the C of I churches and Glebe Houses in county Limerick, including the Glebe House in Askeaton. [3]

Castletown Church

The architectural description of the National Investigation of Architectural Heritage (hereafter abbreviated to NIAH) may be somewhat too technical for some readers, but, it should be noted, nevertheless, that the attention given to it by the NIAH is indicative of the importance of this building from the point of view of our architectural heritage. To continue with a précis of the NIAH description:

he church, built in 1831, comprises a three-bay gable-fronted nave having a square-profile three-stage tower to the south elevation with square-profile, multiple-gabled, single-storey vestries to east and west elevations of tower. There is a pitched slate roof, with cast-iron rainwater goods, cut limestone eaves course and limestone copings to gables. There are pitched slate roofs to the porches, with cut limestone eaves courses and copings and finials to gables. There is a terracotta chimneypot to the west-facing gable of the west porch. There are cut limestone eaves course and crenellations to the top of tower, with square-profile cut limestone finials having pointed caps. The walls are of random coursed rubble limestone with cut limestone quoins. There is a cut limestone plinth course to the south elevation of the tower and side porches. There is a square-headed plaque recess to the south elevation of the tower, with cut limestone surround. The pointed arch openings to the north, east and west elevations of nave have cut tooled limestone surrounds, sill and hood-moulding, with a timber traceried window. The pointed arch openings to the south elevation of the porches have cut and tooled limestone surrounds and sills, cut limestone hoodmoulding and timber sliding sash windows. The pointed arch opening to second stage of tower, south elevation, have cut tooled limestone surround, sill, hoodmoulding and timber framed window. There are paired lancet openings to each elevation of third stage of tower, having cut tooled limestone surrounds, sills, cut limestone hood-moulding and timber louvered vents. There are four-centred arch openings to south elevation of tower and east and west elevations of east and west porches, with tooled cut limestone surrounds and double-leaf timber battened doors, with cut limestone hood-moulding to those to east and west porches and cut limestone label moulding to south elevation of tower. The entrances have limestone steps.[4]

Architectural Appraisal
This church, designed by the architect James Pain (possibly with his brother George Richard) displays a high level of architectural design and detailing, most notably in its imposing square-profile crenellated tower and flanking porches. Its cut limestone finials, crenellations and eaves courses, as well as hood-mouldings to doors and window openings, add an element of contrast to the rubble stone walls, while the variety of timber tracery to its windows add artistic interest. Its setting within a graveyard, adds context to the site, and makes a notable addition to the landscape.[5]

Acknowledgements: Kay Naughton for research.