Building Description:

Freestanding gable-fronted Church of Ireland church, dated 1813. Rectangular five-bay hall, splayed inwards at north-east and south-east corners, single-storey lean-to entrance porches to north and south sides of east end engaging with octagonal clasping buttresses to north and south sides of central breakfront. Each buttress terminated with blind arcading, crenellations and cupola. Single-storey hipped roof vestry to central projection to west end surrounded by bellcote. Pitched slate roofs, clay ridge and hip tiles, set behind parapet, cast-iron downpipes. Ashlar limestone walling to east elevation and porches, blind oculus to gable, blind shallow trefoil arcading below east window, blind crenellated parapet to main roof, open quatrefoil parapet balustrade to porches raked to roof line, stepped buttresses to north and south elevation each with pedimented cap. Unpainted smooth rendered ruled-and-lined walling to remaining elevations, tooled limestone plinth, ashlar buttresses, plaques with '18' and '13' date to west gable. Four-centred and pointed arch window openings, blind window openings to north elevation. Chamfered limestone reveals, limestone perpendicular traceried windows, stained glass leaded lights, hood mouldings with label stops to all openings except porches. Painted timber traceried windows to vestry. Pointed arch door openings, chamfered limestone reveals, moulded smooth rendered surrounds, painted timber vertically-sheeted doors, painted timber over-panel, wrought-iron gate, limestone steps, wrought-iron boot scraper to south porch. Set on prominent south-facing slope, in graveyard with upright and recumbent grave markers to south, west and north. Bounded by rubble stone walling, wrought-iron railings on tooled limestone plinth to east, pedestrian wrought-iron gate to south accessed by flight of steps, separate (earlier) graveyard to north.

Collon Church was designed by Rev. Daniel Augustus Beaufort (1739-1821), an amateur architect and rector of Collon and Navan parishes. It is understood that the church was commissioned by Speaker John Foster to replace one built in 1763 and enlarged in 1793. The present church was erected between 1811 and 1815 at a cost of approx. £4,000.

Brief Description of Project:

In 2015, the Society pledged €10,000 to the conservation of the Collon Parish Church. The roof needs to be entirely restored and the unique plaster ceiling needs stabilisation in accordance with the best practice conservation principles. The IGS grant went towards a detailed survey of the roof space above the plaster. As this area is fragile and access is difficult, it will be necessary to install a temporary walkway in the roof space with as little intervention as possible to the existing structure.

In 2016, the Society continued to support the project with a €5,000 grant to repair the east gable parapet.