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ST. DYMPNA’s CHURCH, CARLOW
- A Student Project
by Thomas Conroy
Source; Carloviana. Dec 2009. No. 58. page
56-57.
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A copy of the sketch which was found in Carloviana page 56.
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St Dympna’s Church Carlow (original church approx. 1870).
The original church building was designed in 1870 and constructed
sometime after this date. The original structure consisted of the
central nave arm. The church was attached to the grounds Carlow
Lunatic Asylum and was used by the Catholic denomination patients. The
Catholic Church was necessary to cater for the increasing number of
Catholic patients being admitted to the asylum. Extensions were
proposed to the original plan in 1897. The Church took the shape of a
traditional Catholic Church with the addition of west and cast
transcript. along with the addition of an apse and two vestry areas at
the end North of the central nave.
The church has been used for two principle uses throughout
its history. The vast majority of its life it was in use as a Catholic
denomination church for the Lunatic Asylum but in more modern times it
has been used for Carlow Military Museum and its collection of'
memorabilia.
Construction
The external walls of the building are constructed from roughly square
limestone blacks with cut limestone blocks at important points of the
building. Quoins are utilised around windows and doors and corners of
the buildings,
The original joining between these stones would have been a weak lime
mortar originally to allow the fabric to breath and aid the removal of
condensation and any dampness
The original jointing between these stones would have been a week lime
stone mortar originally to allow the fabric to and aid the removal
condensation and any dampness from internal wall surfaces.
The internal part and core of the wall would have been constructed
from rougher building stones with the straight edges to the exterior
face, such walling is known as rubble walling and can be laid in
courses, each of a different size or in a more random, jigsaw like
pattern. Larger through stones are often added to the wall to provide
it with greater strength. The overall condition of the walls and
internal finishes are good considering the age profile of the
building. Only small amounts of damp are visible on internal surfaces
and most of these occur underneath head valleys which suggests leaks
or blockages in the drainage goods are the cause of the damp and not
water penetrating the structure of the wall.
Buttresses on the church strengthen the walls of the central nave
walls, buttresses are required to transfer the forces from the steep
central roof to the ground without causing settlement in the external
walls. The buttresses on St. Dympna’s Church are constructed from
limestone blocks held together with a lime mortar.
Widows
The large central nave and transept windows are constructed from
stained glass secured in a frame of headcams contained in an iron
window frame held securely in position to exterior limestone stonework
and internal plasterwork. The stained-glass windows depict various
important saints in the Catholic faith. The windows in the church are
in poor condition with failure of the cames causing the stained to sag
and buckle inwards which eventually lead to the failure of the window.
Source; Carloviana. Dec 2009. No. 58. page 56-57.
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