Grange Abbey

Grange Abbey is a ruined chapel on the former Grange of Baldoyle lands, now in Donaghmede, in the townland of Baldoyle, at the northern edge of Dublin city, Ireland.

History

The Priory of All Hallows (or All Saints) was founded by the King of Leinster, Diarmuid MacMurrough, in 1166 just outside Dublin city, and to support it he gifted to the Bishop of Louth the lands of Baldoyle with their existing tenants^[1] (and it is later noted that the priory had the rights to wrecks on the Baldoyle coast also). The priory is noted as still holding a Grange at Baldoyle in 1275 and while no early reference to a chapel or church is made, it would have been common for a monastic holding to have some such facility. One writer on the topic, Mac Giolla Phadraig, calculated, based on architecture, that the building might date from the late 13th or early 14th century.^[2]

The first explicit reference to the chapel dates from 1369, noting that the Lord Deputy of Ireland held a Parliament in "the Church of the Grange" then. A further reference is made in 1472, when a John Sherreff of Howth left money to the churches at Coolock, Raheny and St. Doulagh's Church, Fingal"Little Grange."^[2]

When the Irish Reformation was followed by monastic property seizures, the "Grange of Baldowill" was assessed, and granted, in 1539, to the Corporation of Dublin as part of the property of All Saints.^[2] The small church was repaired, by Thomas Fitzsimons, the tenant of the Grange, and others, in 1609, and had a curate in 1615. In 1630, the archiepiscopal visitation reported that the church was ruined, only bare walls remaining, and there were no Protestants in the parish, although there was still an assigned curate - and the tenant still collected tithes, while also allowing Mass to be said in his house.^[3]

Renewal of the lease of the Grange was sought in 1630 and granted by Dublin Corporation in 1638, but there is no mention of any repair to the chapel, and in 1675, the curacy of Baldoyle was merged into the parish of Howth.^[3] Up until recently (1991), the Grange House and surrounding lands of Clongriffin were privately owned by the Hoey Family from 1932, who also owned the pub "Hoeys" of Baldoyle from 1897 (later thought sold in 1914) and currently known as "Graingers" of Baldoyle.^[4]

The chapel is mentioned again from the mid-19th century, as a picturesque ruin, abandoned (without tithes), on the grounds of Grange Lodge, Baldoyle, the whole civil parish still being the property of Dublin Corporation.^[5]

Development of municipal property in the lands surrounding the abbey began in the late 1960s, with the construction of modern roads and corporation housing, but the chapel was protected. Across from the Grange Abbey was "The Grange" House, a large stone house (thought around 700 years old). "The Grange" house and surrounding lands of Clongriffin were privately owned by Raphael Hoey from 1932 and were known to include a dairy farm that was in operation until 1976. The house was known to have several underground passageways beneath it which lead to both the Grange Abbey, and St. Doulagh's Church, Fingal in Malahide. However, unfortunately the house was burned to the ground and several outbuildings including stables, a milking parlour, and cowshed along with an orchard were demolished shortly after the sale of the land to a developer in 1991. The rubble of the house was used to fill the last of its fish ponds. Some of the streets of the new housing estate since build on the land in 2003 bear the name "Hoey" with respect to the last known owner occupant of "The Grange" House and farm. The ruins of the Grange Abbey are all that remain of "The Grange of Baldoyle" today.

Status

Grange Abbey is a National Monument ^[6]

Naming

No dedication for the chapel is now known, nor is it known when what might properly perhaps be called "Grange Chapel" became "Grange Abbey."^[1]

Structure

The rectangular stone building, aligned east of north east, measures 13.7m by 4.8m internally, and the four walls are intact to a height of about 2.4m. The surviving stone comprises uncoursed limestone masonry, with dressed limestone quoins. There was no separation of nave and chancel. A path leads to a northern doorway (the southern doorway is blocked), and there is a fine two-section west window, the central portion of which is restoration work, while there is also a partially restored eastern two-section window. There are aumbries on each side, and a small basin at the eastern end of the southerly wall. There are also two gravestones inside.

Restoration works

Restoration work was performed on the chapel in the mid-1980s by AnCO, the then national training State body.

Archaeological works

An excavation within the chapel itself was performed in 1986, to prepare for conservation including flooring work, and including study of ground materials. One conclusion was that the original levels of the doorways would have been at least 35 centimetres (1 ft 2 in) lower than now. Many fragments of bone were found, but had been much disturbed over time. Two phases of construction, and of burial prior to the erection of the eastern wall were conjectured. A few sherds of thirteenth century pottery, believed to be of local manufacture, were also found, indicating some human activity at the site in that period.^[7]

An excavation of part of the church site was carried out in 1999, in connection with M50 link road works, and found light traces of Grange of Baldoyle or later estate works, including domestic refuse pits and a 1.1 metres (3 ft 7 in) wide wall, and remains of a long stone drain, and small stone "water house" probably containing controls for water flow into fish ponds which existed adjacent until at least the nineteenth century, with at least one surviving until 1972. As noted, the last pond was filled with rubble from Grange House and when this was studied, a hoard of 41 gold sovereigns, dating from 1817 to 1830, was found.^[8] The stone drain probably drew water from the Grange Stream, a Mayne River tributary that runs just south of the site (the stream is now culverted).

Notes and references

Sources

• Mac Giolla Phadraig, Brian, "Grange Abbey, Baldoyle." Dublin, Old Dublin Society, "Dublin Historical Record" vol. 20, no. 3/4 (June - Sept. 1965), pp. 129–132
• Joyce, Weston St. John, "The neighbourhood of Dublin: its topography, antiquities and historical associations." Dublin, M.H. Gill & Son, 1921 (third, enlarged edition; first edition 1912), Chapter 27