Kilcooly / Kilcooley

Described and illustrated in Healy (1891: 224 and ill. on p. 227): "The second capella [of the north transept] next to the choir is lighted by a small ope, widely splayed, and there may be seen the old baptismal font, which indicates that the monks formerly discharged parochial functions." Described and illustrated in Stalley (1987: 204 and fig. 239): "Sixteenth-century font at Kilcooly, ornamented with rib-vault patterns", and dated to after the Dissolution [i.e., 1540+]. The illustration in Stalley shows a four-pointed tracery of original design sharing the sides of the basin with fluting and spirally striated columns. Described and illustrated in Pike (1989: 2324) who describes it as "square outside and cylindrical inside, with reconstructed pedestal and no plinth. The decoration is eight Romanesque flutes on one side and Gothic tracery of ribbed vault patterns with three flutes on the two other faces. One side is against the wall" [therefore the decoration on it, if any, could not be seen at the time of Pike's visit]. Included in Drake (2003: 36) who describes one of the motifs as a saltire. [We are grateful to Dr. Rachel Moss, and to Trinity College, Dublin, for the copy of Ms. Pike's work, and to Ms. Joan Pike for her kind permission to reproduce her original drawings].