Building Description:
The Chapel is built on the footprint of an earlier medieval church which was a simple nave and chancel, with a tower at its west end. Its total length was twenty-seven meters and its width seven meters. Today the west end medieval fortified tower, a defended priest's house, with a projecting stair turret in the south-west angle survive. This section was modified c.1820 into the Maunsell mortuary chapel. The Conolly mausoleum was added to the north side of the church c. 1730. The east wall of the chancel stands to 7m height along with fragments of the north and south returns and buttresses. A three light round-headed window is present with switch line tracery. Most of the tracery has been lost.
The Maunsell chapel is located at Tea Lane Graveyard in Celbridge, the burial ground of William Conolly of Castletown and Henry Grattan Jr MP. It stands on the site of an early medieval church dedicated to Saint Mo-chúa. After the reformation, the church at Tea Lane belonged to the Dongan and later the Conolly families of Castletown. In 1798, most of the medieval church was burnt including the chancel and much of the nave. In c.1820, the Maunsell family who lived at nearby Oakley park modified what was left of the chapel into the Maunsell mortuary chapel.
Brief Description of Project: In 2016, the roof of the Conolly Mausoleum was showing signs of collapse at the southwest corner. On closer inspection it became apparent that the rafter ends had failed and were sagging. This pitch of the roof is covered in very large, heavy slates, so urgent remedial works were carried out to ensure this section of the roof was not lost. The Society pledged €3,000 for these essential roof repairs. The following year conservation works continued in order to ensure that the structures' roofs are watertight. For this work, the Society granted €6,500.
Grants Awarded:
2016: £3,000 from IGS London towards essential repairs to roof
2017: £6,500 from IGS London towards Multi-structure anti-water roof conservation plan
NIAH Listing: