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Title:	South Dublin Village Walks - Tallaght Step 08: St. Maelruain's Church and Graveyard
Authors:	South Dublin Libraries - Local Studies
Keywords:	South Dublin Village Walks Tallaght St. Maelruain's Church St. Maelruain's Cross Losset
Issue Date:	5-Sep-2013
Description:	South Dublin Village Walks - Tallaght Step 08: St. Maelruain's Church and Graveyard. St. Maelruain’s Church, graveyard and tower are built on the site of the monastery founded by St. Maelruain in the 8th century. It is worth noting that the road takes the curve of the bank and fosse which surrounded the ancient monastery. The monastery was a centre of learning and piety and was particularly associated with the Céli Dé spiritual reform movement. It was such an important institution that it and the monastery at Finglas were known as the "two eyes of Ireland". St. Aengus, an Ulsterman, was one of the most illustrious of the Céli Dé and devoted himself to the religious life. Wherever he went he was accompanied by a band of followers who distracted him from his devotions. He secretly travelled to the monastery at Tallaght where he was not known and enrolled as a lay brother. He remained unknown for many years until his identity was discovered by Maelruain. They later wrote the Martyrology of Tallaght together and St. Aengus also wrote a calendar of saints known as the Féilire of Aengus. The present day church was designed by the architect Semple in 1829 while the tower was formerly attached to an older church which was demolished in 1820. An annual pattern or festival in honour of St. Maelruain was held here from the time of the saint’s death in 792 down to 1874 when it had degenerated into an occasion for drinking and brawling, and was discontinued through the influence of the clergy. At that time the pattern was devoid of any religious tradition and the people were under the impression that Moll Rooney was a female saint. Within the churchyard is St. Maelruain’s Cross, a small ancient cross set in a pedestal which is firmly fixed in a circular granite base resembling a millstone. The cross and base were formerly known as Moll Rooney’s loaf and griddle. Also within the churchyard, to the left inside the churchyard gate, is St. Maelruain’s Losset, a wide and shallow granite stone trough or font. Losat is an Old Irish word for a wooden trough used in former times for kneading bread. It is likely that the country people named the font from its similarity in shape to the lossets which they used in their homes. The graves of George Otto Simms, former Primate of All Ireland, an expert on the Book of Kells and of renowned artists Oisin Kelly, Elizabeth Rivers and Evie Hone are in the new graveyard at St. Maelruains.
URI:	https://hdl.handle.net/10599/10660
Copyright:	South Dublin Libraries - Local Studies
Location:	Click here to view the location in Google Maps
Appears in Collections:	Published Items South Dublin Heritage Walks Collection

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