Donaghpatrick
INFORMATION
FontID: 09223DON
Church/Chapel: Parish Church of St. Patrick (C. of I.)
Church Patron Saints: St. Patrick [aka Pádraig, Padrig, Patricius]
Country Name: Republic of Ireland
Location: Meath / An Mhí, Leinster
Directions to Site: Located just off (N) the N3, 4 km NW of Navan (dir. Kells)
Font Location in Church: In the graveyard, outside the modern church
Century and Period: 12th - 16th century, Medieval
Font Notes: Click to view font notes
Described in Roe (1968: 113-114): medieval baptismal font, "a massive, well-made and well-proportioned octagonal vessel with chamfered underpanels. It is supported on an octagonal shaft, resting on a square base with chamfered angles. It is supported on an octagonal shaft resting on a square base with chamfered angles". Roe (ibid.) describes the inner well as round, with a flat-bottom and a centre drain hole, but points out the odd addition of a second drain that has been drilled slanted from the bottom angle of the well out through one of the underpanels, and speculates on the reason for this second drainage. Damage is reported at the upper rim "by the forcible removal of an original cover", unfortunately a far too common damage in old baptismal fonts.
COORDINATES
UTM: 29U 648592 5950642
MEDIUM AND MEASUREMENTS
Material:
stone
Number of Pieces: three
Font Shape: octagonal (mounted)
Basin Interior Shape: round
Basin Exterior Shape: octagonal
Drainage Notes: [cf. Font notes for details]
Rim Thickness: 5 cm (beveled to 4 cm)
Diameter (inside rim): 49 cm
Diameter (includes rim): 59 cm [calculated]
Basin Depth: 23 cm
Height of Basin Side: 25.5 cm
Height of Base: [unable to measure the lower base owing to growth of sod]
Height of Central Column: 47 cm
Basin Upper Panel Dimensions: 25.5 cm high x 28.5 cm wide
Basin Lower Panel Dimensions: 28 cm high x 28 cm wide, tapering to 21 cm wide
Notes on Measurements: Roe (1968: 113-114) [NB: Roe gives the width of the lower base as 66 cm; the width of the panels of the shaft as 21 cm]
LID INFORMATION
Notes: [cf. Font notes regarding the removed cover]
REFERENCES
Roe, Helen M., Medieval Fonts of Meath, Longford, Ireland: Meath Archaeological and Historical Society, 1968