Kilfane No. 1
Results: 1 records
INFORMATION
Font ID: 25874KIL
Object Type: Baptismal Font1
Font Date: n.d.
Font Century and Period/Style: Medieval [altered?]
Church / Chapel Name: Parish Church of Kilfane
Font Location in Church: Inside
Church Notes: 13thC church; indexed in the Archaeological Survey of Ireland under SMR No. KK028-013001- -- church famous for the Cantwell Fada, an effigy of a knight from the 1320s/30s
Church Address: Kilfane, Thomastown, Co. Kilkeny, Ireland
Site Location: Kilkenny, Leinster, Republic of Ireland, Europe
Directions to Site: Located off the R448, 3-4 km NNE of Thomastown and Jerpoint Abbey
Additional Comments: altered font? (is some of the base new?)
Font Notes:
Click to view
Baptismal font of stone consisting of a a roughly square basin raised on a broad central shaft and four corner colonnettes; plain square lower base; on two-step plinth that appears modern. The font is plain except for a spur on each of the chamfered angles of the basin. Is it medieval? [cf. BSI entry for Kilfane No. 2 for a stoup in the same church].
A set of digital photograph of this font taken 12 July 2025 by A.-K. D. may be seen in Wikipedia [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Kilfane_baptismal_font] [accessed 26 July 2025]; a caption reads: "The medieval baptismal font, believed by the congregation to have come from the old church in Kilfane. It is made from limestone and has similarities with the Ossory type fonts. The lid was made by Oisín Kelly in 1966 who signed it "O. K. 1966". The legs are new."
A 3-D model of this font by b-unicycling may be seen in Sketchfab [https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/kilfane-baptismal-font-ef6f44a49a6a4987a77d3f78442547b7] [accessed 27 July 2025]; its caption reads: "This medieval baptismal font now stands in the Church of Ireland building in Kilfane, Co. Kilkenny, where it is still in use. The church warden told us it was 12th century, (I would think 13th) and that they believe it came from the old church in Kilfane. To me it looks very similar to the Ossory type fonts, but simpler indesign (unless that was chiselled off like they did with the Ullard font in Graiguenamanagh). The corner designs reminded me of the font in Maddoxtown. The legs are modern, there were two more steps underneath, but this look to me like closest to what the original might have looked like."
A set of digital photograph of this font taken 12 July 2025 by A.-K. D. may be seen in Wikipedia [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Kilfane_baptismal_font] [accessed 26 July 2025]; a caption reads: "The medieval baptismal font, believed by the congregation to have come from the old church in Kilfane. It is made from limestone and has similarities with the Ossory type fonts. The lid was made by Oisín Kelly in 1966 who signed it "O. K. 1966". The legs are new."
A 3-D model of this font by b-unicycling may be seen in Sketchfab [https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/kilfane-baptismal-font-ef6f44a49a6a4987a77d3f78442547b7] [accessed 27 July 2025]; its caption reads: "This medieval baptismal font now stands in the Church of Ireland building in Kilfane, Co. Kilkenny, where it is still in use. The church warden told us it was 12th century, (I would think 13th) and that they believe it came from the old church in Kilfane. To me it looks very similar to the Ossory type fonts, but simpler indesign (unless that was chiselled off like they did with the Ullard font in Graiguenamanagh). The corner designs reminded me of the font in Maddoxtown. The legs are modern, there were two more steps underneath, but this look to me like closest to what the original might have looked like."
COORDINATES
UTM: 29U 627552 5824442
Latitude & Longitude (Decimal): 52.555082, -7.118561
Latitude & Longitude (DMS): 52° 33′ 18.29″ N, 7° 7′ 6.82″ W
MEDIUM AND MEASUREMENTS
Material: stone, limestone?
Font Shape: square, mounted
Basin Interior Shape: round
Basin Exterior Shape: square
Drainage System: centre hole in basin
Drainage Notes: no lining
LID INFORMATION
Date: modern
Material: wood
Apparatus: no
Notes: made by Oisín Kelly in 1966 who signed it "O. K. 1966"