2022:323 - St Catherine's Church, Rush, Dublin

Works commenced 26 August 2022, initially focussing on the removal of the strap pointing on the exterior and interior of the church’s western gable, using handheld tools in tandem with the removal of the vegetation from the interior of the church. Subsequently the interior and exterior of both gables and the exterior north and south elevations were scaffolded to enable access at all heights of the structure to facilitate the works. At that point a sample panel of the proposed pointing was prepared for agreement, allowed to dry and subsequently approved. Scaffolding was erected with sufficient protection in place to respect the grave monuments internally and externally to the church and particularly at the western gable. The remainder of the strap pointing of the western gable was then removed, as much as possible, but where it interacted with an area of intact rendering on the interior of the gable it remained untouched, in an effort to preserve some of what was possibly original rendering.
The growth of vegetation on the interior of the church had served to damage the central table tomb and obscure many of the other internal monuments. The ash tree which had caused the former was cut down to stump level, with the stump drilled and treated to prevent regrowth. Additionally, the act of vegetation removal uncovered part of the north-western pillar of that broken central table tomb, and this was matched to its in situ other half and both pieces were cemented together with a chemical polymer. Once that polymer had cured the two halves of the damaged tombstone subsequently reset atop the pillars. The vegetation removal also revealed that the table tomb beneath the eastern gable had experienced a high degree of subsidence, which had caused the damage to the decorative surrounding wrought iron railings of the tomb, which originally had been slated for removal, restoration and resetting.
With the scaffolding in place, the treatment of all of the intramurally rooted vegetation was undertaken with herbicide and an examination of the substantial crack in the western gable revealed that it was not feasible to completely remove the ivy therein. As much of that root as possible was removed, with a small pipe left in order to periodically treat the remainder with herbicide. The ivy rooted into the eastern gable crack was treated in a similar fashion and following the vegetation removal and treatment, the resetting of the tops of the walls was undertaken and these were bedded and flaunched using a sympathetic lime-based mortar, to assist in water runoff. The same mortar was used following the removal of the strap pointing from the interior and exterior of the western gable to repoint those elevations, with a continuation of the repointing around the corners onto the initial 0.15m of the northern and southern external elevations. The substantial crack in the western gable and the lesser crack in the eastern gable were repaired with steel stitch bars and repointed, to good effect in both cases, with the fresh mortar on both sides of the western gable completely masking the repair and the only evidence of repair being the fresh mortar present in the eastern gable.
Following the completion of the above works a layer of geotextile material (terram) was laid on the interior to prevent vegetation regrowth and a particular type of gravel known as ‘Ballylusk’ was deposited in a 25mm layer to finish the interior of the church. At all times the on-site works were cognisant of the fact that despite the surrounding graveyard being of historical significance, it remains in use currently, with several modern gravestones and plots in close proximity to the works being protected and treated with the utmost respect and sensitivity at all times. No ground disturbance occurred during these works. During the above works the presence of two yellow sandstone rebates were noted, either side and internal to the arch of the church’s belltower. The rebates would have presumably held the bar which would have supported the church’s bell and they were the only examples of this stone type used in the church.
Fingal County Council also funded the restoration of the alter tomb and its railings. Plywood and timbers were laid down internally, to protect the church and its monuments and in order to provide a stable surface for a mobile scaffold and gantry hoist. The western panel of the tomb’s decorative cast iron railing surround was removed to allow the cut limestone mensa slab of the altar tomb to be safely lifted off, with the aid of the gantry hoist. That was followed by the removal of the carved Portland stone sides of the tomb itself, which allowed the subsequent removal of the remaining cast iron enclosing panels.

The two basal pediments were reinstated, they along with all of the other constituent parts of the tomb were cleaned, prior to reassembly. Where necessary the assistance of a polyester chemical anchor was used to discretely reinforce the integrity of the structure. Following the completion of those tasks the surrounding cast iron decorative railing was re-installed, with additional elements added to bridge any gaps or absences in the railing which the collapse of the tomb and the rigours of time had caused. That enabled the completion of the restoration of the railings onto the corner pedestal stones, which were enclosed within a steel frame to maintain their position and limit the spread of the hardcore grey, limestone chipping surround.
During these works the licence holder noticed a piece of cut stone with a broken edge which mirrored those of the extant AD1631 mesa tomb fragment and the decision was taken to flip the stone in its position, revealing the ornately carved crucifixion scene.

No human remains or bones of any kind and no archaeological artefacts, ecofacts, features or deposits were uncovered or disturbed at any point during the above works.

c/o Archaeology & Built Heritage, St. Paul's Enterprise, Smithifeld, Dublin 7