A Monumental Guide to Ferns, Co. Wexford Christiaan Corlett

A Monumental Guide to Ferns, Co. Wexford

Christiaan Corlett Text by Christiaan Corlett

Images by Christiaan Corlett, courtesy of Culture Stock

Design and layout by Christiaan Corlett

Published by Coles Lane, 2020

This publication is available to download at www.coleslane.com

Coles Lane CONTENTS

Introduction 1 St Aidan 2 Early ecclesiastical history of Ferns 4 The rise of the Uí Chennselaig 5 Medieval Ferns 7 St Mary’s Abbey 13 The cathedral 15 Effigy of John St John or St Aidan? 17 Stone crosses 18 The chapel 20 St Aidan’s Well 21 St Peter’s Church 22 Ferns Castle 23 INTRODUCTION

Ferns in north Wexford takes its name from the Irish word fearna, meaning ‘place of the alder trees’. This area was part of the ancient territory of Uí Chennselaig, which comprised much of the southeast of the country, including modern-day county Wexford and neighbouring parts of Carlow and Wicklow. The reason why Ferns would become the regional epicentre of both ecclesiastical and secular power is unclear. It is not located at a strategic point in the landscape already made defensible by the natural topography, such as a hilltop. There is no navigable river at Ferns with an important crossing that might need to protection. Nor is it located be- side the sea where it could develop as a port. Yet, it was here that St Aidan, also known as Máedhóg, founded one of his most famous churches at the turn of the 7th century. Apparently, the land was given to Aidan by a local king. Perhaps the political importance of Ferns evolved as a result of St Aidan’s monastery being located here, or maybe he established his church here because it was already the royal seat of the local king. The answer to these questions is unclear, but we do know that Ferns would become one of the most important religious and political sites in the southeast of Ireland.

1 ST AIDAN

The importance of Ferns goes back to at least the turn of the 7th century when the first church was founded here by St Aidan, also known as St Máedhóg, who died in 624. He was born on the island of Port on Brackley Lough, close to Drumlane, Co. Cavan. Much of the information recorded about Aidan survives as stories or accounts known as the Lives that were probably first written down in the late 12th century. Some of the accounts were written later in the medieval period. No doubt some stories are very old, but they have been shaped over the centuries and it is difficult to distinguish fact from fiction.

According to one story, Aidan travelled as a young man to Wales, where he was tutored by the patron saint of Wales, St David. While in Wales, he is said to have cured many people of their ailments, including a son of the king of the Britons in Wales who was blind, deaf and lame. At the behest of St David, Aidan also reputedly blessed an army of Britons before they successfully repelled an invading force of Saxons. When he subsequently returned to Ireland he walked across the sea from wave to wave until he reached the Wexford coast. He soon met the local king of Uí Chennselaig. A short while later the king took ill and in his dreams he was saved from the jaws of a fierce beast by Aidan with his staff. When the king awoke he gave land at Ferns to Aidan to build a ‘noble church’.

Aidan soon became regarded as the patron saint and protector of the Uí Chennselaig, and in one story, when an army invaded the region, the saint drew a line with his bachall (staff) around the army of the Lein- ster king Brandubh, son of Eochaid. The invading army stopped at the line, except one chief who crossed it and died immediately. The rest of the army turned around and left the battlefield for home.

Some years later, while Aidan was away, king Brandubh (d. 605) was slain in another battle. Aidan returned to Ferns and went straight to the king’s grave and brought him back to life to hear his confession so that he could go to heaven. One of the purposes of this story was to demonstrate that Ferns, since its foundation, had been the burial place of kings of the regions; kings who would one day rule Leinster.

2 According to one of the Lives of St Aidan, he visited Rome where he received two gifts at the altar of St Peter, one being his brec and the other being the staff of Brandubh, named after the king Brandubh that Aidan reputedly brought back to life so that he could receive the last rites. Shortly before his death in 624, Aidan is reputed to have bequeathed the staff of Brandubh to Ferns, where he was also reputedly buried. Unfortunately, the staff of Brandudh no longer survives, but the so-called ‘brec’ is almost certainly the Breac Maodhóg (the speckled or variegated shrine of St Maodhóg, i.e. St Aidan), which can today be found on display at the Na- tional Museum of Ireland in Dublin. This shrine comprises a house-shaped reliquary, probably made in the late-11th century, and is associated with St Aidan’s church at Drumlane, Co. Cavan. The staff of Brandubh, probably a simple wooden staff, was probably contained in a similarly ornate reliquary of gold, silver and enamel. It was likely kept at Ferns in a church or reliquary chapel for centuries after his death. Such reliquaries were important to attract pilgrims who came to Ferns in order to see Aidan’s grave and a holy object that once belonged to one of the most revered saints in the region. As a link to a glorious past, the staff of Brandubh would have been especially important to the Uí Chennselaig and their kings.

The Breac Maodhóg (speckled or variegated shrine of St Maodhóg) on display at the National Museum of Ireland.

3 EARLY ECCLESIASTICAL HSTORY OF FERNS

After the death of St Aidan in 624, the annals record the death of several subsequent abbots and bishops of Ferns, reflecting the fact that the church here served multiple ecclesiastical functions during the early medieval period, prior to the establishment of parishes and dioceses.

Ferns was plundered by the Vikings in 834, some years before they established a settlement at Loch Garman at the mouth of the River Slaney, the precursor of the modern town of Wex- ford, which derives from the Norse Waesfiord, meaning a broad shallow bay. The new Viking settlers continued to develop the town of Wexford over the following centuries and controlled much of the hinterland. Their presence in the region would be highly significant and was most likely tolerated by the local Gaelic tribes, who were quick to capitalise on the military and naval power of their new neighbours, as well as the trade links that they provided with much of the outside world. While the Viking attack on Ferns in 834 may have been purely aimed at ransacking a wealthy church in search of valuables and slaves, subsequent Viking attacks on Ferns in 917 and 928 may have been more politically motivated. It is not recorded if the Vikings who attacked Ferns on these occasions were from Wexford, or perhaps from further afield, such as Dublin. Throughout this period, many Gaelic kings hired Viking mercenaries to attack the important churches and secular power bases of their enemies. As the seat of both ecclesiastical and secular power in the kingdom of Uí Chennselaig, Ferns was the obvious target of outside kings who wished to subordinate the rulers of this region. The beginning of the 12th century saw the influence of church reforms that were sweeping throughout Europe. In particular, these changes saw the creation of a new diocesan system of organisation, which in turn saw the creation of new parishes across the country. In 1111, at a synod that saw the first formal agreement of a diocesan structure across the entire country, Ferns became one of five episcopal sees in the province of Leinster. There can be no doubt that this was in large part due to the fact that Ferns was also the seat of the Uí Chennselaig who dominated the secular politics in the region. Now as the seat of a diocese, Ferns also dominated the ecclesiastical politics of the region, and with this new status and authority, it seems certain that the early bishops sought to express this with the construction of new churches, or the embellishment of existing ones. 4 THE RISE OF THE UÍ CHENNSELAIG

The infamous Battle of Clontarf near Dublin in 1014 had left a power vacuum in Leinster. This resulted in the rise of the Uí Chennselaig, who had been previously constrained to modern-day Wexford. The most successful of the new Uí Chennselaig kings was Diarmaid mac Máel na mBó (d. 1072). The Uí Chennselaig were previously a minor family in Leinster politics, but now became a major family on the national stage as Diarmaid mac Máel na mBó sought the prestigious title of high-king of Ireland.

Diarmaid mac Máel na mBó fell short of achieving his ambition as high-king. He did, however, have a role to play in England’s equivalent of the Battle of Clontarf, the Battle of Hastings (1066), when he gave refuge to the sons of Harold Godwinson, the Norse king of England, in the aftermath of his defeat at the hands of William the Conqueror during the Norman conquest of England. He even supplied them with ships in their unsuccessful attempt to regain the English crown. A century later, the roles were reversed, and his great grandson Diarmaid Mac Murchadha would look to William the Conqueror’s descendant, Henry II, for assistance in realising his own royal ambitions in Ireland.

Diarmaid Mac Murchadha was allegedly born at Ferns in 1110. Only five years later his father was killed in battle. Apparently, his body was buried with a dog in unconsecrated ground. Di- armaid’s older brother Eanna took the throne, but was killed 1126. Diarmaid, a boy of about 16, became his successor. Initially, he was in a weak position and others were quick to seize the op- portunity. However, within a few years Diarmaid Mac Murchadha had secured his position in Leinster, and had already earned a ruthless reputation. According to one contemporary source, Diarmaid Mac Murchadha appears to have been his own worst enemy; ‘a man who preferred to be feared by all rather than loved by any’.

By the 1140s, Diarmaid had firmly entered the national political stage, and now established an alliance with Toirrdelbach Ua Conchobhair of Connaught, the most powerful king in Ireland. He became involved in various alliances, frequently changing sides as he sought to elevate his own position. In one famous incident he is reputed to have abducted a lady called Derbforgaill, the wife of Tighearnán Ua Ruairc, king of Breifne and sister of Murchad Ua Máel Sechnaill, king of Mide. Some have disputed whether or not she was abducted, or may in fact have gone with Diarmaid of her own free will. Whatever the truth of the matter, Tighearnán Ua Ruairc was humiliated, and the return of his wife a short time later did little to dampen his anger. Indeed, the personal enmity that endured between Diarmaid and Tighearnán for many years after would have dramtic consequences for the course of Irish history.

5 While Diarmaid Mac Murchadha had earned a reputation as a ruthless king, like so many other Irish kings of this period, he was equally generous when it came to the church. In 1148 he founded a Cistercian Abbey at Baltinglass, Co. Wicklow. This is one of several churches and monasteries that he supported or helped establish. Indeed, he helped secure the promotion of his wife’s brother, Lorcán Ua Tuathail (later St Laurence O’Toole), to the position of archbishop of Dublin in 1162. Prior to this, Lorcán Ua Tuathail had been abbot of Glendalough in the heart of the Wicklow Mountains, and it was as abbot that he witnessed the foundation by Diarmaid Mac Murchadha of the Augustinian Abbey of St Mary’s in Ferns around 1160. By 1166, Diarmaid’s long-term enemies were forming an alliance against him, and even some of his close friends and allies had deserted him. Tighearnán Ua Ruairc was determined to get his revenge. Together with Murchad Ua Máel Sechnaill, king of Mide, and the Vikings of Dublin, Tighearnán came with a large army to Ferns, where they demolished Diarmaid’s stone house and burned his camp. Diarmaid is said to have fled Ireland dressed as a monk of St Mary’s Ab- bey in Ferns, which he helped to found only a few years earlier.

St Mary’s Abbey in Ferns was founded around 1160 by Diarmaid Mac Murchadha.

6 MEDIEVAL FERNS

It’s curious how history repeats itself. We have already seen how Diarmaid Mac Murchadha’s great-grandfather, Diarmaid mac Máel na mBó, assisted the sons of Harold Godwinson, the Norse king of England, in the aftermath of the Norman conquest of England in 1066. In 1165, king Henry II of England hired a fleet from Dublin to assist his military campaign in Wales. This could only have been done with the knowledge and permission of Diarmaid Mac Mur- chadha. Therefore, when Diarmaid fled Ireland in 1166 he immediately went he search of Henry II in order that his previous favour might now be returned. Diarmaid found the English king in Normandy, and with Henry’s blessing, he went to Bristol, where he enlisted the support of Richard de Clare, earl of Strigoil, better known today as Strongbow.

Strongbow was out of favour with Henry II, who had confiscated his English and Welsh estates that he should have inherited from both his father and mother. Therefore, Strongbow had good reason to undertake an expedition that could result in the acquisition of new estates in Ireland. In order to cement the deal, Diarmaid agreed that his daughter Aoife should marry Strongbow. As he was about to depart for Ireland from St David’s in Wales (where St Aidan had trained many centuries before), Diarmaid met Maurice fitzGerald and his half-brother Robert fitz- Stephen. He promised them lands around the Norse town of Wexford if they helped him to recover the kingship of Leinster. Clearly, Diarmaid had no loyalty to the Vikings in Wexford.

In 1167, a small group of Normans arrived under the leadership of a Flemish knight, Rich- ard fitzGodebert. They seem to have left Ireland a short while later, but not before Diarmaid succeeded in re-establishing himself at Ferns. Shortly later he had another encounter with the high king of Ireland, Ruaidhrí Ua Conchobhair, in the company of Diarmaid’s arch nemesis Tighearnán Ua Ruairc. Realising that he was outnumbered, Diarmaid submitted to Ruaidhrí, and was forced to pay Tighearnán one hundred ounces of gold as the honour-price for having abducted his wife, Derbforgaill, in 1152. Ruaidhrí turned away from Wexford, seemingly sat- isfied that Diarmaid no longer posed a threat. This would prove to be a grave miscalculation.

In May 1169, in the space of two days, a large force of Norman knights and archers arrived in five ships at Bannow in south Wexford. They were joined by Diarmaid and together they proceeded to take the Norse town of Wexford. As payment for their services, Diarmaid granted his new Norman allies the town of Wexford and lands throughout the south of the county. The high king, Ruaidhrí Ua Conchobhair, was now forced to take decisive action. Once again he marched on Ferns, where Diarmaid and his Norman allies were forced to take refuge in a nearby woods. Negotiations ensued and Ruaidhrí opted for a peaceful resolution. Apparently Diarmaid agreed to recognise Ruaidhrí as high-king, who in turn agreed to recognise Diarmaid as king of Leinster, on condition that the Normans would be sent back to England. Ruaidhrí should have known from previous experience that Diarmaid was not to be trusted.

7 In the summer of 1170, Strongbow landed near the town of Waterford, and now the Norman invasion took a new turn. Within two days, the defences of Waterford town were breached and the Viking inhabitants surrendered. Diarmaid Mac Murchadha arrived in time to see the fall of the Waterford, and in fulfilment of their earlier agreement, his daughter Aoife married Strong- bow in the cathedral there. The combined forces of Strongbow and Diarmaid now marched on Dublin. Having heard of the fate of the Vikings of Waterford, the king of Dublin, Hasculf Mac- Turkill, entered into negotiations through the mediation of the Archbishop of Dublin, Lorcán Ua Tuathail, who was Diarmaid’s brother-in-law. With MacTurkill distracted during the negotiations, the Normans carried-out a surprise attack on Dublin, forcing the Norse king to flee.

Unfortunately for Diarmaid, he died suddenly at Ferns in May 1171, before he had time to enjoy his new-found success. With his death, his brother Murchad was declared king of Uí Chennse- laig. However, later that year king Henry II visited Ireland and Murchad agreed to recognise him as his over king. If Murchad hoped that this would ensure his position as his brother’s successor to Ferns he was mistaken. Strongbow, as Diarmaid’s son-in-law, successfully made a claim to the ancient kingdom of Uí Chennselaig, including Ferns, and Murchad was killed in 1172. Strongbow is known to have stayed at Ferns for short periods, but his connection was short-lived. He died in 1176 and the following year, the king granted Ferns to the sons of Maurice Fitzgerald, one of the principal knights who came to Ireland to assist Diarmaid Mac Murchadha. Apparently, a castle built here by the Fitzgeralds was razed to the ground shortly later, and the family association with Ferns ended abruptly. Ferns was once again retained by the crown while the king waited for Strongbow and Aoife s young son, Gilbert, to come of age.

However, Gilbert died in 1185, and all the lands of Strongbow in England, France and Wales, as well as those he acquired in Ireland through his marriage to Aoife Mac Murchadha, now passed to their only surviving heir, their daughter Isabel. The granddaughter of Diarmaid Mac Murchadha was now one of the most sought-after heiresses in Britain, Ireland and also France. However, a young woman in her position could only marry with the permission of the king, and the man selected to be her husband was William Marshal.

In his youth, William Marshal trained as a knight and excelled on the tournament circuit in France and the Rhineland, and soon he was taken under the wing of Henry II. The wedding between Isabel and William took place in August 1189, and through his new wife’s inher- itance, William became one of the wealthiest men of his time. In September 1200, Isabel and Fragment of a 13th century floor tile found in the graveyard William, now earl of Pembroke at Ferns. Inlaid and coloured in white is the upper portion arrived in Ireland for the first of a knight mounted on horseback. Only the top of the time when they landed in south horses head is visible. The knight holds a sword in his left Wexford. hand and wears a helmet with a narrow eye slit. 8 William only stayed in Ireland until December that year, when he was recalled by the king on business in England and Normandy. Over the following years William kept a close eye on his Irish lands, but shortly before Easter 1207 he returned to Ireland in order finish the work that he had started seven years earlier. There is no historical evidence to confirm that Isabel or William ever visited Ferns, but it seems quite likely that they did. We know that William constructed castles to control his Irish estates, and it is often said that Ferns Castle was built by him. While it is possible that he did establish some form of fortification here, Ferns Castle itself was built sometime after his death. Not long before William Marshal’s death, the bishop of Ferns, while attending the Lateran Council in Rome in 1215, successfully petitioned Pope Innocent III to have William excommu- nicated on the grounds that he had confiscated church-owned lands. The man in question was Aulbin O’Mulloy, bishop of Ferns. After Wil- liam’s death in May 1219, the bishop secured an audience with Henry III, who promised to seek that the lands be returned to the bishop by Marshal’s heirs. As a gesture, the bishop was to visit William Marshal’s tomb and rescind the excommunication. Instead, when the bishop stood before his tomb, he threatened to extend the excommunication to his sons if the lands at Ferns were not returned. The Marshal sons were enraged and refused. In retaliation, the bishop prophesized the extinction of the male line of William Marshal. There were no winners in this battle. William Marshal’s line ultimately became extinct with the death of his sons without any male heirs, while the bishop of Ferns found himself estranged from the English royal court.

William Marshal was succeeded by his eldest son, also William, and to distinguish him from his father he is generally known as William Marshall the younger. He was born around 1190, while his father was in Normandy serving King Richard I. Like his father, he was well-con- nected, and in April 1224 he married Eleanor, daughter of the late King John, and sister of the present King Henry III. Less than a month after his wedding to Eleanor, William Marshal the younger was appointed justiciar of Ireland. He arrived to take up his new position shortly later.

9 William Marshal the younger spent quite a lot of time in Ireland, continuing his father’s work in the development of the Lordship of Leinster. It is believed that he began construction of the castle at Ferns. He died in 1231, without a male heir, and it appeared that the prophesy of the old bishop of Ferns might come true. However, William still had four younger brothers, and the Lordship of Leinster passed to the next in line, his brother Richard, whose association with Ireland would be short-lived and tragic. Richard gifted Fern’s Castle to his brother William’s widow, Eleanor, though her connections with the castle are unclear. Richard himself became embroiled in a bitter dispute with Henry III, and he died in April 1234 after a confrontation with Irish barons loyal to the king. The Lordship of Leinster subsequently passed to his brothers, Gilbert (d. 1241), Walter (d. November 1245) and Anselm (d. December 1245). Incredi- bly, each of William Marshal’s sons had died childless, in fulfilment of the prophesy made by the Bishop of Ferns many years earlier. Therefore, the Lordship of Leinster was to be divided amongst the five daughters of William Marshal the elder. All of his daughters had married, and unlike their brothers, they had many children.

10 In May 1247, a year and a half after the death of the last of William Marshal’s sons, an agreement was reached to divide the former Lordship of Leinster amongst his daughters. In the case of Ferns, the heiress was Johanna or Joan, granddaughter of William Marshal, but the real beneficiary was her husband William de Valence, the king’s half-brother. Born Guillaume de Lusignan, he took the name form his birthplace, Valence, in France. He came to England in 1247 at the invitation of the king, and was soon married to Joan and awarded the title earl of Pembroke.

The castle and the manor of Ferns continued to be held by the Valence family until 1330, but throughout this period the family were effectively absentee landlords. The impact of this was the inevitable decline of the estate. When Ferns came into the hands of William Valence, the castle and manor were valued at nearly £82. Sixty years later it had more than halved in value, and by 1324 it was considered worthless. This was the year that Aymer Valence, only son of Joan and William, died without an heir. With no lord of the manor to take firm management of affairs, the local Irish families gradually reinstated themselves, and the Valence family lost control of their lands here. The castle was burned by the Irish in 1331, and immediately af- terwards was taken into the hands of the crown. Initially, the king appointed military men as constables to take charge of the castle, but he soon became reliant on the bishops of Ferns to do this job.

One of these was Bishop Esmond of Ferns, who in 1349 had been deposed by the Pope. He refused to accept the papal ruling and locked himself within the castle with his relatives and friends. The newly appointed Bishop Charnell was unable to extricate Esmond from the castle, and even the local sheriff refused to assist him. Eventually, one of Bishop Charnell’s followers gained access to the castle, and opened the gate, allowing the arrest of Esmond. In the late 1350s the castle was once again taken by the Irish and badly damaged. Bishop Charnell recov- ered the castle and had it repaired, but the problem of the local Irish remained.

In fact, the Anglo-Norman settlement of this part of Wexford had never been complete as in other parts of Leinster. The descendants of Diarmaid MacMurrough had never gone away, and by the end of the 14th century a new member of the family emerged as a formidable leader in the region. This was Art Mac Murchada Caomhánach (MacMurrough-Kavanagh). By 1378 he claimed to be chief of the Irish of Leinster, and even king of Leinster. He imposed a Black Rent on the English settlers throughout the region, which eventually prompted two expedi- tions to Ireland by king Richard II. The king of England did succeed in stopping Art MacMur- rough-Kavanagh’s rise to power, but the price the crown paid was to leave Ferns in the hands of his Kavanagh descendants. This situation was never satisfactory for the crown, but for over a century, due to insufficient resources, their hands were tied. Events eventually came to a head in 1536, when the Lord Deputy, Leonard Grey, equipped with cannon and firearms lay siege to the castle and regained it for the English crown.

11 The Reformation of the church and the reorganisation of English government in Ireland in- troduced by the Tudors brought some radical changes across Ireland, including Ferns. With it came New English settlers to the region. In 1569, Thomas Masterson was appointed constable of the castle, which gave him authority throughout north Wexford. Masterson ruled with a firm hand and quickly alienated the Kavanaghs who had dominated the region for centuries. As tensions escalated, the Kavanagh’s made alliances with the O’Byrnes of Wicklow, in particular the notorious Feagh McHugh O’Byrne of Glenmalure. Between 1575 and 1578 Feagh raided Ferns on several occasions, burning the town and damaging the cathedral. In the years that followed, Masterson successfully removed the threat posed by the Kavanaghs, and in 1583 he was granted a sixty-year lease of Ferns castle and manor by Elizabeth I.

The last pre-reformation bishop of Ferns was Alexander Devereux, who had been abbot of the Cistercian abbey of Dunbrody. He was appointed to Ferns in 1539 and served until his death in 1566. During his tenure he had to walk the tight rope of keeping loyal to both the pope and the king. There was a vacancy in see until 1582, when Hugh Allen was appointed Bishop of the Anglican diocese of Ferns. In the same year Peter Power was appointed bishop of the Catho- lic diocese of Ferns. Shortly later, Power was imprisoned, and fled to Spain, where he died in 1587. There would be no Catholic bishop of Ferns appointed until 1624. In the meantime, the Protestant population in the diocese had declined and there were insufficient resources to maintain the bishop. In 1597, the Anglican diocese of Ferns was united with the diocese of Leighlin, Co. Carlow. Bishop Allen died in 1599, and his immediate successor died en route from his consecration in Dublin to take up the post in Ferns.

Eventually, Thomas Ram took up the post in 1605. Born in Windsor and educated in both Eton and Cambridge, he set about reorganising the diocese of Ferns and Leighlin. This included the establishment of the town of Gorey, incorporated by royal charter in 1619 and then known as Newborough. By the time he died in 1634, the Anglican diocese of Ferns and Leighlin was firmly established, however, it came at a cost to Ferns itself. The town was reduced to a small village as Gorey prospered. It was here that Ram built his episcopal palace, while the cathedral at Ferns remained neglected. Some of Ram’s writings survive and his anti-Catholic sentiments are clear. When the 1641 Rebellion broke out and the Catholic confederacy took control of the region, Ram’s successor, George Andrews, was forced to flee to England. During this period there was a revival of the Catholic diocese of Ferns, though the Catholic bishops rarely took up residence in Ferns itself. Despite this turbulent history, Ferns continues to the present day to host the cathedrals of both the Anglican and Catholic dioceses of Ferns.

12 ST. MARY’S ABBEY

St Mary’s Abbey at Ferns was founded around 1160 for the Augustinian order by Diarmait Mac Murchada. The remains of the abbey comprise a nave and chancel church. A small belfry tower projects from the west end of the church. The lower part of this tower is square in plan, but where it clears the roof level of the nave, it changes to circular, so that the upper portion resembles a round tower, a more conventional belfry for the period. Within the tower is a spiral staircase that was inserted in the 19th century. The original floor levels within the tower were probably of timber, acccessed by wooden ladders. Over the chancel at the eastern end there was a barrel-vaulted ceiling, above which was a room.

13 Attached to the north side of the chancel is a small two-storeyed building, which may have served as a sacristy, or perhaps the private royal chapel for Diarmaid Mac Murchada himself; he may even have been buried here after his death in 1171. Like the chancel, this also had a vaulted ceiling, and a room above. A stone staircase leads to the former rooms above the sacristy and chancel. Perhaps one of the upper rooms served as the private quarters of the abbot, and there may have been a scriptorium located in one of these rooms.

Diarmaid Mac Murchada donated many lands throughout Wexford to the abbey, including the church of Finach at Ferns; the location of this church is unknown today, unless it was the church ruins today called St Peter’s.

The abbey was dissolved in 1539 when William O Doyle was the last abbot, and two years later it was recorded that the buildings comprised a church, belfry, chapter house and a hall, probably the former refectory. The chapter house and hall no longer survive. Originally there was also a cloister on the south side of the church, the remains of which are known to survive below the ground surface.

14 THE CATHEDRAL

Around 1186, Giraldus Cambrensis, the great Welsh chronicler of the Norman invasion of Ireland (and archdeacon of Brecon in Wales), was offered and declined the position of Bishop of Ferns. Instead, the position was taken up by an Irish man, Ailbe Ua Máel Muaid (Aulbin O’Molloy). In March that year, both men preached sermons before the archbishop of Dublin. Giraldus aired his low opinion of the Irish clergy, criticising them for their excesses and drunk- enness, while Ailbe was equally critical of the English and Welsh clergy who came to Ireland. However, Ailbe was not entirely antagonistic towards the new Norman influences and was well-respected by many of his clerical peers throughout England during this period. He was present at Westminster Abbey for the coronation of king Richard I in September 1189, and was favoured at the English royal court, particularly after John’s accession to the crown in 1199. In 1207, Ailbe, as bishop of Ferns, wrote to Pope Innocent III to promote the canonisation of Lorcán Ua Tuathail (d. 1180), brother-in-law of Diarmaid Mac Murchadha and archbishop of Dublin, who had witnessed the foundation charter of St Mary’s Abbey in Ferns around 1160.

Dragon on a fragment of a 15th century window found in the adjoining graveyard, which probably formed part of the medieval cathedral church.

15 The present cathedral was built in 1817, but incorporates many portions of the original medieval cathedral. What survives of this earlier church suggests that it was constructed during the term of Bishop John St John (1223 – 1253). In fact, the present cathedral church is much smaller than its medieval predecessor. The original church was cross-shaped in plan, with north and south transepts extending off the nave and chancel, and a crossing tower at the inter- section. Both the nave and chancel, as well as the transepts, had side aisles. These aisles were subsequently removed, and so too were the transepts, the crossing tower and much of the nave.

Ornate capitals within the nave of the cathedral. Origi- The reason that much of the medi- nally these pillars divided the choir from the side aisles eval cathedral was removed may of the medieval cathedral. (below) Base of a medieval be largely due to the fact that it piscina still in use within the chancel of the cathedral. was badly damaged in the 1570s by Feagh McHugh O’Byrne. For many years after the cathedral remained in poor condition, and in 1612 Bishop Thomas Ram claimed that only one of the aisles was still is use. Indeed, the present church is effectively constructed on the footprint of the main portion of the chancel. Today, some traces of the former transepts can be seen on the exterior of the building, and within the church there are some medieval pillars that once separated the main body of the chancel from the side aisles.

16 EFFIGY OF JOHN ST JOHN OR ST AIDAN?

Aulbin O’Mulloy, the bishop of Ferns who cursed William Marshal, died in 1223. He was replaced by the first Norman bishop of Ferns, John St John. He died in 1243 and was buried at Ferns. John St John was most likely to have been responsible for the construction of the medieval cathedral that was incorporated within the present building. Inside the cathedral is the effigy of a bearded bishop wearing a mitre, thought to represent John St John. Notably, instead of a dog resting at the bishop’s feet, the animal appears to represent a dragon. Its talons are gripping the end of the tomb as if hanging on, the long tail is coiled and its neck is twisted and contorted so the head faces the bishop. The head of the bishop is framed within a trefoil canopy, in the corner of which is the floriated head of a crosier. At a glance, the head of the crosier appears to have broken away from the main shaft of the crosier, and there certainly does appear to be a piece missing. However, a close examination of the shaft implies that the crooked head is intended to represent the head of a staff. According to tradition, St Aidan visited Rome where he received two gifts at the altar of St Peter, one being the staff of Brandubh. Shortly before his death, Aidan is reputed to have bequeathed the staff to Ferns. So, was this effigy commissioned in the th13 century to commemorate St Aidan, or perhaps John St John as his successor?

1711 STONE CROSSES

In the grounds of the cathedral are three large high crosses, all carved from granite and quite plain, lacking any decoration that we often see on other Irish high crosses. The shafts are missing, so the heads are set on new conrete ones. They most likely date to the 9th or 10th century. None are in their original positions, but they were probably in quite similar locations to the west, north and east of the main church that stood here long before the late medieval cathedral was built.

18 In the graveyard on the south side of the cathedral is the remains of what must have been a highly decorative high cross. Only the lower-most portion of the shaft of the cross survives, and is decorated with fretwork pat- terns and a Greek key motif on one of the sides. Though only a small portion survives today, it is clear that this was once a very large cross. Traditionally it is said that this cross marked the grave of Diarmaid Mac Murchada, who died in 1171. How- ever, the cross most probably dates to the 9th century, and may have been commissioned by one of his distant ancestors.

19 THE CHAPEL

This structure immediately east of the cathedral is sonewhat of an enigma. Its floor level is much lower than that of the cathedral, and it is clear that it did not form part of, or was con- nected with, the cathedral itself. This would appear to rule out any suggestion that it could have functioned as a Chapter House of the cathedral, though there is evidence that a chapter had been established here early in the 13th century. Only the north and south walls survive, each with evidence for seven closely-set lancet windows. The east end, which presumably had a fine window, and the west end, which may have been the main entrance, no longer survive. Therefore, we cannot be certain as the original morphology of the overall building. What we can say is that it was constructed sometime before 1250, and perhaps served as a private chapel of one of the Marshal family.

20 ST MOGUE’S WELL

According to the Lives of St Aidan, when he was building his church at Ferns, his followers complained that there was no water. He told them to dig at the roots of a tree, which they did, whereby a stream began to flow along the boundary of land belonging to another man. Sub- sequently, the women from the other side of the stream came to wash and bathe here. Aidan complained that this was the domestic well of the monastery and it was not fitting for women to come here, so close to the monks. Despite some protest, the women ultimately agreed, but only after the daughter of the local king became stuck to the sand and gravel in the bed of the stream. Today, the source of this well is covered by the main road into Ferns, but it still flows freely through a small tunnel and under a small turret, built in 1847. A carved stone head built into this turret was brought here from a Romanesque church at Clone outside of Ferns. In fact, close examination of this structure reveals that it was constructed using various stones from one or more old churches in Ferns, perhaps St. Mary’s Abbey, the Cathedral or nearby St Pe- ter’s Church.

21 ST PETER’S CHURCH

Despite several early features, it has been suggested that this curious church was constructed towards the end of the 16th century using stones recycled from other church buildings in Ferns. For example, a 12th century window has been inserted into the church, reusing stones from at least two Romanesque windows and possibly also a doorway. At the end of the 16th century, St. Mary’s Abbey nearby had been dissolved and perhaps stones were taken from there to con- struct St. Peter’s Church as a post-Reformation chapel to serve the local Catholic population, who had lost their cathedral to the reformed church under the Tudors. However, there is evidence that the church goes back much further in time. Perhaps the dedication to St Peter provides a clue. When Aidan reputedly visited Rome he received two gifts at the altar of St Peter, including the staff of Brandubh, which he bequeathed to Ferns shortly before his death. It is possible that the church here was originally a reliquary chapel, where pilgrims could see the precious staff that Aidan received at St Peter’s. However, such reliquary chapels are usually at the ecclesiastical core. Therefore, we might consider another possibility. A major ecclesiastical site such as Ferns must have had a nunnery, especially during the 11th and 12th centuries. Nunneries were closely associated with the daughters and wives of local kings, who became patrons of their churches and some- times retired here later in life. Nunneries are known at other important church sites, such as Clonmacnoise and Glendalough, where they are situated a short distance from the male-dominated monastic core. This is similar to the position of St Peter’s church. Indeed, the story about St Aidan being upset by women coming to the Romanesque window recycled and stream that flowed from the nearby well may be a hidden inserted into St Peter’s Church. reference to the presence of a nunnery here. 22 FERNS CASTLE

It is believed that in the 1160s, if not sometime previously, a stone house built by Diarmaid Mac Murchadha stood at, or close to, the site of the present stone castle. No traces of Diar- maid’s castle have been discovered to date. In the 1170s a new castle was built at Ferns by the sons of Maurice Fitzgerald, portions of which were incorporated into the stone castle that stands on the site today, which is believed to have been built shortly after 1224, when William Marshal the younger came to Ireland. After his death, the castle passed to his younger brother Richard Marshal. In June 1232, Richard offered the castle as part of a dowry to William’s widow, Eleanor, sister of king Henry III. This is the first clear reference to a Marshal castle at Ferns, but whether this offer was accepted is not clear, and within two years Richard himself was dead.

In 1245, the castle was assigned to Johanna, a granddaughter of William Marshal the elder. It is possible that she had already been resident at Ferns, though this is not certain. In 1247 she married William de Valence, the king’s half-brother, who now became earl of Pembroke. Ferns Castle was now in the control of the Valence family, though we have little evidence that they ever spent much time here. Yet, we know from the architecture and scale of the castle that the Marshal and Valence families did invest in constructing and maintaining one of the finest medieval castles in Ireland.

Today, much of the castle has disappeared, but it is clear from what remains that this was a very substantial and imposing castle for its time. It consisted of a large rectangular block with round corner towers at each of the four angles. Two of these five-storey towers survive today. The south-west tower is only fragmentary, but still stands tall. Near the top of the tower on the exterior is a fine gargoyle. This tower has a basement chamber cut into the underlying bedrock, which could only be accessed by a trapdoor, and perhaps served as a prison or may have been designed as a water cistern. 23 The south-east tower is almost complete and features a basement with a shallow, beehive-vaulted ceiling. The most interesting feature of this tower is the circular chapel on the first floor. The roof is vaulted, with ribs springing from decorative capitals. There are also a number of carved heads tucked behind the ribs of the vaulted ceiling. The altar was formerly situated under the east window, which is flanked by an ambrey and a piscina for storing and washing the liturgical vessels. There is also a fine trefoil-headed sedilia (a seat for the officiating cleric) with a decorative hood. The chapel was designed for the private celebration of Mass for the inhabitants of the castle, who are likely to have retained their own chaplain.

24 Archaeological investigations in the 1970s revealed that the castle was originally surrounded by a large moat cut through the shale bedrock. The stone extracted in order to create the moat appears to have provided some of the building material for the castle itself. Over the centuries, this moat was completely filled-in and almost invisible. During the excavations of the material that filled the moat, late medieval pottery was found, as well as some armour piercing arrow- heads. Today, a section of the 5m wide and 3.5m deep moat is once again open. Near the base of the south west tower the moat becomes narrower and today a short bridge provides visitors with access into the castle interior. Originally, however, the entrance to the castle was probably at first-floor level, and could only reached by some form of draw bridge mechanism.

Within the castle, the timber floors have long disappeared. The main windows of the castle are found at first and second floor levels; they face south to bring as much natural light as possible into these rooms. The first floor was the main hall for receiving and entertaining guests. Here there was a fine fireplace, now restored. The private rooms and sleeping quarters of the family were most likely on the second floor.

25 Gargoyle projecting from the top of the south-western tower of Ferns castle.

Vaulted ceiling of the chapel in the south-eastern tower of Ferns Castle.

26 Coles Lane