A detailed history, The Medieval Churches of Co IT]Offaly, which was published last week, is generating interest not only here in the midlands but nationwide. For the book, the result of 11 years of research and study, throws new light on a subject which barely survived waves of destruction.
In his introduction, Roger Stalley writes that visitors from abroad, especially those from Britain and the Continent, are often surprised that almost all the ancient churches of Ireland are now in ruins.
"Two great waves of destruction were responsible for this, one brought about by the dissolution of the monasteries during the reign of Henry V111 and the other associated with the Confederate wars and the ensuing invasion by Oliver Cromwell," he writes. He adds that during the 1530s the abbeys and friaries, with their vast endowments, became a target for the government in Dublin, desperate to find land which it could offer as an inducement to English settlers loyal to the Crown.
By 1541, he goes on, most of the monasteries had been closed by royal commissioners, their possessions confiscated and their communities dispersed into the surrounding countryside.
The ancient buildings were scavenged for anything of value: lead, glass, timber and slates. Some were converted into private homes, others were abandoned and allowed to disintegrate, and a few were immediately demolished.
Parish churches were allowed to become run down, and, according to Mr Stalley, Tudor travellers, familiar with the prosperous villages of England, were aghast at the impoverished state of Irish churches.
In 1576 it was reported that out of 240 parish churches in the Diocese of Meath, most were ruined or nearly so, with "the very walls of the churches, down windows and doors ruined and spoiled".
Offaly was typical of other counties, and the description of the destruction of Clonmacnoise by the English garrison from Athlone gives some idea of the depth of that desecration.
Official accounts of that raid in 1552 tell us that there "was not left a bell, small or large, an image, or an altar or a book or a gem or even glass in a window, from the wall of the church out, which was not carried off".
No wonder, then, that it is difficult to form a picture of religious life in medieval Ireland. Most historians find that the legal documents which survive tell very little of the daily routine of the people.
Neither do they tell us what the buildings looked like, how they were decorated or what furnishings they contained. For that reason, concludes Mr Stalley, the role of the archaeologist is vital.
Over the past 11 years the Archaeology Survey has, county by county, been assembling information about hundreds of church sites, many of them previously unknown or unidentified.
From this survey, conducted by Evelyn Cooley, Catherine Martin, Caimin O'Brien and David Sweetman, the book, the first of its kind, presents a vivid picture of religious buildings at different periods. By concentrating on the one county, the authors, Elizabeth FitzPatrick, who was born in Athlone, and Birr-born Caimin O'Brien, give a precise cross-section of what was happening generally across the country.
While the publication deals with the best-known Offaly monasteries, Clonmacnoise, Durrow and Rahan, most of the churches examined have received little or no attention before.
A total of 33 ecclesiastical sites dating from before the Norman invasion have been identified and there are at least 11 buildings with what is termed "pre-Norman fabric". The list includes the Nun's Church in Clonmacnoise and two shrine-like churches intimately associated with the relics of St Ciaran at Clonmacnoise, and St Mell's Cell at Lemanaghan.
The authors report on valuable discoveries at Killeigh, where it has been possible to reconstruct the form of the Franciscan cloister: a sculpture of St Francis which adorned the cloister arcades has also been unearthed.
The new book also deals with pre-Christian monuments and how they were adapted to become part of Christian worship. Sixty-five holy wells and a number of sacred trees or rag-bushes and sacred rocks, all bearing saints' names, have been recorded across Co Offaly.
The authors point out that at the church site at Lemanaghan near Ferbane, a holy well dedicated to the founder saint, Manchan, is adorned with statues which "sit comfortably beside an overhanging sacred tree festooned with rags".
"In the the middle of the road, south from the early monastery of Seirkieran to the village of Clareen, a whitethorn bush dedicated to St Ciaran is decked with rags and charms placed there by believers seeking cures," say the authors.
There is plenty of evidence of our pagan past being "christianised" and one of these, the book says, may be the Kinnitty Stone. It can be found in the porch of the Protestant church in Kinnitty. This large stone is decorated with what looks like pre-Christian rock art.
Duchas, the Heritage service, which published the book, is happy with the response, and while it accepts it is a "once-off", it may lead to more publications.
"While this book has dealt with churches, other books from other areas may deal with other subjects picked up in the survey." If they were as fine a publication as this one, Duchas would be very happy, said a spokesman. The archaeological survey was carried out initially with funding provided by Offaly County Council and FAS. It was formally launched in Tullamore.
At the launch, the Offaly county manager, Mr Niall Sweeney, spoke of the council's determination to protect the county's rich heritage. He said other publications had emerged from the survey and booklets had been produced on the graveyard at Kilcruttin and the old churches at Lynally.
The Medieval Churches of County Offaly, by Elizabeth Fitz-Patrick and Caimin O'Brien, is published by Government of Ireland publications. Price £18.