Church of the Ascension, Timoleague
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| Church of the Ascension, Timoleague | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Church of the Ascension, Timoleague, County Cork | |
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| 51°38′43″N 8°45′51″W / 51.6453°N 8.7643°W | |
| Location | Timoleague, County Cork |
| Country | Ireland |
| Denomination | Church of Ireland |
| History | |
| Consecrated | 1811 |
The Church of the Ascension is a small Gothic Revival church building belonging to the Church of Ireland in Timoleague, a town in West Cork, Ireland. It is dedicated to the Ascension of Jesus. Part of the Kilgarrife Union of Parishes in the Diocese of Cork, Cloyne and Ross, the church is noted for its intricate mosaics.
The site hosting the Church of the Ascension was previously the site of an earlier medieval church.[1] It was reportedly still in good condition as late as 1699, with an average congregation of 80.[2] On 21 August 1802, the Bishop ordered the church to be torn down, as it had become unsafe due to age and decay. He further mandated that the materials of the church be kept for the construction of a new church.[3]
The construction of the church was funded by a loan from the Board of First Fruits, and was constructed between 1810 and 1811.[4] The church was consecrated on 25 May 1811.[3] It followed the typical "church and tower" layout of an early Board of First Fruits church.[5] Unlike later Board of First Fruits churches, it originally lacked both a chancel and vestry.[6]
On 15 December 1832, Rev Charles Ferguson, the vicar of the church, was murdered in a field near Bandon. His killing has been attributed to discontent surrounding tithes.[7] He was beaten to death with a rock, suffering "extensive fractures" to his skull, which left him "almost unrecognisable".[8]
A vestry and a chancel were added to the church between 1861 and 1863, and designed by Welland & Gillespie.[9][4] Bishop John Gregg refused to consecrate the new chancel, due to what he called a "graven" representation of the Crucifixion in the stained glass east window.[1] The window remained hidden behind a curtain until the early 20th century.[10]
The southern transept was added in 1890.[11]
