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Title:	South Dublin Village Walks - Newcastle Step 7: St. Finian's COI Church and Graveyard
Authors:	South Dublin Libraries - Local Studies Photography: Rocshot.com/Rob O'Connor.
Keywords:	South Dublin Village Walks Newcastle Graveyard Pilgrim Stone Early Christian Cross
Issue Date:	12-Sep-2013
Description:	South Dublin Village Walks - Newcastle Step 7: St. Finian's COI Church and Graveyard. Newcastle Church of Ireland "Old Church", like its sister church up the road is dedicated to St. Finian. This edifice dates back to 1400, although it is believed the site was used for worship in the very early days of Irish Christianity. The west tower and chancel of this church are the 15th Century remnants of an earlier place of worship. In the 1600s the magnificent fifteenth century Gothic window in the Nave was moved from its original position in the Chancel as, owing to a remodelling of the church interior, it could no longer be seen in all its glory. The outline of its original location can still be seen in the now-derelict chancel. The church we see today owes its appearance to renovations carried out in 1775. Within the grounds of the church is an interesting pair of ancient relics almost side by side, one a cross, and one a pre-Christian "Pillar Stone" which stands at the end of a prominent but damaged early 19th century table tomb. Pillar stones’ origins are unclear, but they may have been used as idol-stones, memorials or boundary markers. In any event the positioning of this monolith is as a result of human intervention and not natural geological activity. The other relic is a granite cross dating back to circa 500 A.D. which still shows evidence of the figure of Christ, despite the passage of one and a half millennia. Another church, now ruinous, also dedicated to St. Finian exists in the neighbouring village of Esker in Lucan.
URI:	https://hdl.handle.net/10599/10685
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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