Chapter 20.

Lusk,

where the tourist’s attention is first attracted by the remains of its ancient parochial church, which, though still used for worship, are so ruinous, that the buttresses present the dangerous features of ash trees springing from all their crevices.

The edifice consists of two long aisles, divided by [415] a range of seven arches; the east end of the southern aisle being all now required and fitted up for the Protestant service. Entering this, the stone basin for holy water is seen, and near it a baptismal font, elevated on a pedestal, and bored at the bottom, in conformity with the canon of Archbishop Comyn’s synod, “to convey, after the ceremony of baptism, the holy water down to mother earth.” Near it is inserted, in one of the stopped up arches that divide the two aisles, a very ancient monument, which was dug up in 1753, composed of coarse grit stone, and of the ordinary dimensions. A representation of our Saviour on the cross in relievo, occupies two-thirds of its length; while the upper third presents at left the bust of an old man, with a ball and cross in his hand; and at right an armorial, on which a bird alone can be plainly traced. In the same line is a black slab, to the memory of Captain Richard Roe, of Bullock in this county, who died in 1656; while on the opposite wall is another to the Archdall family, since 1751; and a large tomb to that of “Umfries,” sine 1713.

In the section now appropriated to divine worship, immediately before the communion table, is the costly and noble monument of Sir Christopher Barnewall, of Turvey, (grandfather of Nicholas, first Viscount Kingsland,) and his lady, who survived him, and married Sir Lucas Dillon, of Moymet, in the county Meath. It is composed of different materials, the principal figures being sculptured in grey Italian marble, whilst the lower part of the tomb is entirely of Kilkenny [416] marble. Sir Christopher is represented in a rich suit of armour, his head bare, and his hands joined over his breast in a devotional posture: his feet rest on the body of a greyhound. His lady appears lying beside him, dressed in a round cap and high ruffles; her gown, thickly plaited round the waist, puffed on the shoulders, and richly embroidered; her petticoat is designed as of sumptuous cloth of gold; and from her girdle hangs a chain of superior workmanship, to which is appendant a scapular, two inches square. At her feet, which can scarcely be distinguished, is placed a lap-dog. Her hands, like those of her husband, are crossed devotionally on her bosom, and the head of each reposes on an embroidered pillow. The sides are sculptured with the armorials of the Dillons and Barnewalls. The whole of this fine piece of sculpture is barbarously smothered up by the steps and platform into a pulpit, which exactly rests upon the faces of those fine figures. See of this Sir Christopher very fully, *ante, *in the memoir of “the Family of Barnewall.”

In the north aisle is a tomb of black marble, bearing the effigies of a knight in armour, the visor unclosed, and his sword across the left thigh, the hands joined over the breast in the attitude of prayer, and the feet resting upon a dog: the inscription on the exergue states this “to be the monument of James Bermingham of Ballough, and his wife Eleanora Fitz William, who died in 1637.” Beside it, encompassed with an iron railing, is another tomb of Kilkenny marble, erected to the memory of Sir Robert Echlin, [417] of Rush, who died in 1757. This is inscribed with the lines-

“Here lies an honest man without pretence,

Blessed with plain reason, and with common sense;

Calmly be looked on either life, and here

Saw nothing to regret; or there to fear:

From nature’s temperate feast rose satisfied,

Thanked Heaven that he had lived, and that - he died.”

There are also in this aisle a tombstone to Christopher Russell, who died in 1750, erected near the spot where his relative, Archbishop Russell, was buried; and a mural slab, of white marble, and two tombstones beneath, to the Rev. Nicholas Wade, parish priest of St. Michan’s, Dublin, who died in 1802, and his ancestors of New Haggard and Tomminstown, since 1738. Here was formerly exhibited, according to Brewer, a vestige of antiquity, supposed to be part of an idol appertaining to the Danes. “Its material,” he adds, “resembles stone, but is as weighty as the most ponderous mineral: the carving represents the human features in a modification fancifully hideous, the face being about seven inches broad, and the head, without neck or body, attached to a pair of kneeling thighs and legs.” This relic cannot, however, now be found; but there is in the wall opposite the entrance, a curious stone, carved with a small, but not disproportioned figure of a warrior.

Adjoining the west end of this church, stands a handsome and extremely solid square steeple, beneath which is a crypt, or vaulted chapel. Three angles of this edifice are flanked by comparatively modern round, [418] embattled, slender towers, incorporated with the building; while at the fourth angle is an isolated round tower, of the “veritable antique,” rising to a considerable height above any other part of the building, and measuring in the inner diameter at bottom two yards and a half. It is in excellent preservation, and affords, by the later erection of the adjoining belfry, a very convincing evidence, that it at least was not recognized by our ancestors, learned in acoustics, as a fit “instrument of sound” for such a purpose, as ‘the theory of some would refer these edifices to. On the occasion of building the steeple, an entrance was constructed from it into the Round Tower, by steps raised to the level of its ancient door.

In the churchyard are monuments to the Murray family, since 1734; to the Dungans, since 1785; the Seavers of Rush, from the commencement of the 18th century; the Rochforts of Walshestown, &c. Near the church is a glebe-house, with a glebe of two acres adjacent, and about 20 acres within half a mile’s distance.

In another part of the town is a large and lofty Roman Catholic church. It has a mural slab to the Rev. Patrick Kelly, Vicar- General of the diocese, and pastor of this parish, who died in 1834. This edifice also is surrounded by a grave-yard, but it exhibits no tombs of note, with the exception of one to a Mr. William Clarke, who died in 1833, at the advanced age of 105. Near this are the National schools for boys and girls, to which the Board allows £18 per annum. The number of their pupils was 128 in 1834.

[419] Lusk givess its name to the parish, or rather to two parishes - that of East Lusk and West Lusk, containing in the two baronies of Balrothery and Newcastle, 54 townlands, extending over 16,642a. 0r. 31p., and having a total population of 5,866 persons. These parishes constitute one vicarage of the annual value of £120, in the deanery of Garristown, to which the treasurer and precentor of St. Patrick’s, who are the impropriators of the rectory, present alternately. In the Catholic dispensation, this parish is in the Union of Swords. It is chiefly laid out in tillage, and the number of its labourers is said to be about 140, of whom 50 have constant, and the rest occasional employment. The wages of labour is about 1s. per day; rent from £1 l0s. to £2 5s. per acre. The chief proprietors are Lord Howth, Sir William Palmer, the Archbishop of Dublin, the Earl of Kingston, Colonel Loftus, Mr. Forbes, Mr. Byrne, and Mr. White has lately purchased, from the Commissioners of Woods and Forests, the commons appertaining to the village, which comprised about 300 Irish acres, in five parcels.

In 497 died St. Macculind, Bishop of Lusk, to whom the church was dedicated. He is dignified in the ancient notices with the term bishop, and his successors are so indifferently termed bishops or abbots. According to tradition his remains were deposited in a vault, which being termed in Irish “Lusca,” is supposed to have given name to the locality. Within this church was also a chapel dedicated to St. Maurus.

In 695 died here Casson, a learned chronographer, and in the same year, St. Adamnanus held a synod in the abbey of Lusk, at which were present all the principal prelates of the kingdom. In 825 the abbey was pillaged and destroyed; and in 854, the abbey [420] and whole town were consumed by fire. In 887 Seachnasagh was abbot of this house.

In 902 died Colman, a learned scribe and Bishop of Lusk and Duleek. In 1069 the town suffered considerably by fire; in 1080 it was burned by the people of Munster, when 180 persons perished in the church; and in 1133 it sustained a very similar visitation. In 1135 the town, the abbey, and the whole country of Fingal, were burned by Donel Mac Murrough O’Melaghlin, in revenge for the murder of his brother, Connor Prince of Meath. The sacrilege was not, however, committed with impunity, and O’Melaghlin was slain by the people of this town.

So early as the year 1178 the Pope confirmed Lusk, with its church and appurtenances, to the see of Dublin, as did Prince John subsequently, and Pope Innocent the Third in 1216.

In 1188 the tithes of this parish, or at least a considerable portion of them, having previously belonged to St. Mary’s Abbey, were assigned by the prior and monks of that establishment, to John Comyn, Archbishop of Dublin.

In 1190 the Nunnery of Lusk, originally founded for ladies of the order of Arroasia, and afterwards apropriated to the priory of All-Saints, Dublin, was translated to Grace Dieu, by the last-mentioned archbishop, who filled it with regular canonesses following the rules of St. Augustin, and granted an endowment to it. In 1196 Pope Celestine the Third confirmed to the abbess of this nunnery the church of St. Mary of Lusk, with the tithes, being the gift of Archbishop Comyn, the churches of St. Mary of Dublin, St. Mary of Duleek, St. Mary of Termonfeckin, St. Mary of Scrine, the Church of St. Odra,, those of St. Mary of Kells, St. Mary of Fore, St. Mary of Durrough, St. Mary of Clonmacnoise, St. Mary of Evachdun, with all their several and respective possessions.

In 1205 Eustace de Roehe obtained a grant of certain parcels of land within the honor of Lusk; and in 1219 the church, which had previously been a prebend in the gift of Philip de Bray, was assigned as part of the provision for the precentor of St. Patrick’s. The Archdeacon of Dublin, however, had at this time a certain right herein, which he exchanged for the chapel of Tawney. For a notice in 1227 see “Memoirs of the Archbishops of Dublin.”

[421] In 1284 an inquiry was held to determine the right of patronage to Lusk, which was then litigated The jury decided that during the vacancy of the see of Dublin the dean and chapter did present, but at other times the archbishop. The vicarage was then valued at 34 marks In the same year Walter Scamnel, prebendary of Lusk, was made bishop of Sarum. For a notice of John, vicar of Lusk in 1299, see the “Memoirs of the Archbishops of Dublin.”

In 1306 Lusk having been divided into two prebends and two vicarages, the former were valued at £33 6s. 8d each the latter at £26 13s. 8d. respectively. In 1317 the archbishop of Dublin being’ seised, in right of his see *(inter alia) *of the manor, a carucate and 111 acres of land in Lusk, 125 acres of land in Clonmethan, &c., obtained a grant of the same for ever, from the crown, reserving services to the king and his successors, on vacancies of the see occurring. In 1318 an inquisition was held concerning the right of presentation to the vicarages. The jury was composed of 15 clergymen, and 17 laymen, and they decided that the rector was the true patron; and the same jurors reported their value at that time to be £10 yearly.

In 1375 a similar commission to that alluded to at “Malahide,” was given to the overseers of the harbour of Lusk. This record is the more extraordinary as the sea does not now come within a considerable distance of this village; it probably, however, referred to Rogerstown within the parish.

In 1381 John de Bryen, being prebendary of one portion of Lusk, forfeited the issues and profits of his prebend by long absence from the parish. In 1406 Thomas Cranlegh, prebendary of one portion of Lusk, had license to absent himself from Ireland for two years, for the purpose of studying at Oxford, with liberty to receive by his deputies the fruits and profits of his benefice. In 1453 the king granted to John Wright the prebend or canonry of one portion of Lusk, appertainiug to the deanery of the church of St. Patrick, while immediately after Richard Eustace was by provision of the Pope, prebendary of the portion “ex parte precentoris.” He was sued on the statute of provisors for soliciting this foreign and prohibited patronage, but received a pardon which was confirmed by act of parliament.

[422] In 1467 a moiety of Lusk was restored to the precentor of St. Patrick’s, and the other moiety confirmed by the king to the treasurer of that Cathedral, up to which period the succession of the rrebendaries, as far as ascertainable, was as follows:

1284 Walter Scamnel.

---- Roger Fitz-Roger.

1294 James of Spain and R. de Apingdon

1381 John de Bryen.

1406 Thomas Cranlegh.

1453 John Wright and Richard Eustace.

In 1502 Thomas Rochfort Precentor of St. Patrick’s, made a donation to the church of Lusk of a large table of alabaster, the high altar and three images, one of our Saviour placed in the centre, with St. Macculind, the’ patron saint of Lusk, on his right hand, and St. Patrick on his left. In 1513 Edmond, fourth brother of Sir Bartholomew Dillon, who was in this year made Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer, was Prior of Lusk.

In 1515 Sir Thomas Butler, Earl of Ormond, was found seised of the manors of Turvey, Rush, and Balscadden, and a part of Lush.

In 1580 the only chapels appendant to Lusk are stated to be Rush, situated in the land of the Earl of Ormond, Kilnure, and Knightstown, now known by the corrupted name of Whitestown. The churches of Balrothery, Baldungan, and Lambecher at Bremore, were in earlier times subservient to it, and continued even at this time to pay pensions to it as the mother church.

In 1539 the vicarage of Lusk, “ex parte precentoris,” was valued to the First Fruits at £14 5s. 10d. while the treasurer’s portion was rated at £14 l2s. 6d*. *In the same year the king granted to Gerald Aylmer, then Chief Justice of Ireland, *(inter alia,) *certain lands in this parish, in tail male. The family of de Bathe having, however, subsequently made a claim thereto, the heir of said Aylmer came to an agreement, and surrendering certain parcels to them, obtained from the crown a new patent in fee of the remainder, while de Bathe had a similar grant of the part so assigned to him. For a further notice in this year, see at “Nanger.”

In 1541 Alison White, the last Prioress of Qraee Dieu, was found seised, among several possessions, of certain messuages, [423] 100a. of land in Lusk, and a flaggon of ale out of every brewing for sale in Lusk, annual value £6 5s. 8d.

In 1547 the rectory was found to be divided, as before-mentioned, into two portions; one moiety belonging to the precentor, the other to the treasurer of St. Patrick’s cathedral, both of whom were bound to repair the chancel of the parish, and each had the appointment of a vicar. The inquisition states the demesne lands as comprising 80a., and details the tithes payable out of the respective townlands, with their values. Some parcels were charged with the tithes of corn and hay, others with the long tithes, to the total anneal value of £123 13s. 10d. It is worthy of notice, that according’ to this record the tithes of corn and hay from Rush and Whitestown were leased at, the annual rent of £7 9s. 4*d., *and two dozen of dry ling, thus affording some, evidance of the ancient celebrity of the Rush ling.

In 1548 all the lands and possessions, to which the nunnery of Grace Dieu was entitled in this parish, &c. were granted for ever to Patrick Barnewall, Esq., and subsequently confirmed to him. In to same year the priory of All-Hallows was found to have been seised of the nunnery or cell of Lusk. For a notice, in 1561, see “Clonmethan” at that year.

In 1575 Sir Christopher Barnewall was buried here, to whose memory the marble monument, before alluded to, was erected in the south aisle.

In 1609 the king’s letter passed for a grant to James Netterville of a messuage and certain lands in the town of Lusk, together with the tithes of “the Riglas,” of the yearly value of £8 7*s. 6d. *For a notice in 1629, see at “Kilmainham.”

About the year 1630 the two vicarages of Lusk were, by consent of the Archbishop, consolidated, on account of the poverty of their revenues, and, have so continued ever since; the precentor and treasurer of St. Patrick’s presenting thereto alternately.

In 1641 Luke Netterville and others caused proclamation to be made in the market place at Lusk, for the general and important meeting which was afterwards held at Swords. Of the forfeitures consequent upon “the affair” of this year, the principal in this parish were those of George Blackney, 372a., Robert Walsh, 367a. John Geydon, 300a., Robert Arthur, 259a.,** *Anthony [424] de la Hoyde, 145a., *William Travers, 120a., and Philip Hoare, 40a.

In 1667* *the denomination called the Regulars of Lusk, 140a., was granted, with all the tithes thereunto belonging, to James Duke of Ormond, and in the same year the Archbishop of Dublin and his successors had a grant, as part of the augmentation of that see, of 53a. in Lusk, 232a. in Walshestown, &c. In 1674 the treasurer’s moiety of the tithes of this parish was leased for £91 per annum. For a notice in 1082, see at “Feltrim.”

In 1689 Doctor Patrick Russell, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin, having died during the residence of King James in Dublin, was interred here. In the same year the chapter of St. Patrick’s nominated a vicar to the cure of Lusk, vacant by the death of John Archdall.

In 1697 the Reverend Joseph Walsh was returned as parish priest of Lusk and Holmpatrick, having Mr. William Shanley as his curate.

In 1703 Edward Swan of Kilrisk had a grant of that part of Lusk called Fagan’s Freehold, 20a., the estate of Richard Fagan, attainted.

About the year 1742 Doctor Stearne, Bishop of Clogher, bequeathed his paternal estate of Ballogh, together with his freehold in Lusk, (subject to the chief rent of £6 per annum to the Archbishop of Dublin, and to the annual sum of £20 for ever to Mercer’s Alms-house,) to the use of Dr. Steevens’s Hospital, and in 1787 John Archdall devised £200 for the use of the poor of this place.

The periodicals of 1789 record the shock of an earthquake as having been then felt in this town and its vicinity.

In 1822 the extensive commons appertaining to this town, were enclosed by authority of a private act of parliament, 2 Geo. 4, c. xxi

The advice of the poet is not inapplicable here, and, if you would view Lusk aright,

Go visit it by the pale moonlight.”

The writer has enjoyed it in that holy hour, wandered through the tombs of its graveyard, stood beneath the awful shadows of its towers, entered the consecrated walls, and walked amidst the dead of ages.

For a short time a dim-glaring flambeau aided to announce its once illustrious occupants, but these once made known, all light was willingly extinguished, but that over which the power of man has no control. The echo of the dropping torch, as it fell upon the ground, and the scattered expiring sparks of its light seemed the voice and the spirit of departing mortality. They died away and the full, clear moon streamed over the walls and monuments, mingled with the shadows of the casements and the buttresses, and the wavering ivy that softened off the radiance but enhanced its witchery. A pilgrimage to the summit of the belfry, and a softened view of the surrounding scenery reposing in that chaste light, and above all the bay beaming like one vast sheet of mother of pearl beneath the more perpendicular rays, completed the enchantment of the spell.

At right of the road from Lusk to Rush lies

Ch. 21. Rogerstown.