Deeply carved decoration on the arches contrasts with low relief patterns on the pillars.
The doorway has four decorated arches resting on pillars. Each pillar is decorated on both faces with a chevron pattern. This creates lozenge shapes along the outer edge. Animal heads at the tops of some of the pillars hold the ends of the pattern in their jaws. The inner arch is plain, while the second one has animal heads with patterned faces holding a roll moulding in their jaws. The third arch has saw-tooth chevrons with the points facing out. The outer arch is a hood moulding decorated with small bosses and a herringbone pattern, the outer ends of which terminate in stylised animal heads.
The chancel arch of the Nuns’ Church has four orders facing the nave and two facing the chancel. The jambs on the nave side have a simple roll moulding on their outer edge, imitating a pillar. The capitals are almost square; some have patterns and some have small human heads on the outer corner. The inner arch has saw-tooth chevrons on both faces, creating deep, hollow lozenges along the
Animal head terminal
Saw-tooth chevron
Animal heads with roll moulding in their jaws
outer edge. The second arch has bar-and-lozenge moulding on the outer edge and gapped chevrons on both faces. The third arch has chevrons on both faces, which form an intricate lozenge design along the outer edge. A hood moulding surrounds the arches, decorated with chevrons and ending in animal heads at both ends.
Explore the patterns and designs on the Nuns’ Church at Clonmacnoise. Make drawings and take notes of the features that appeal to you. You could use some of the images as a starting point for your own work.
Animal heads at the tops of pillars
Lozenges formed at the outer edges of the pillars
Figure 26.15 The capitals of the pillars in the western doorway of the Nuns’ Church at Clonmacnoise.
386 Other Sites
There are many fine examples of Romanesque decoration on Irish churches around the country.
l Dysart O’Dea in Co. Clare has a doorway with human and animal heads carved in high relief.
NEW APPRECIATING ART IRELAND AND ITS PLACE IN THE WIDER WORLD
Hood moulding
Animal heads with roll moulding in their jaws
Saw-tooth chevron
Pillars with chevron patterns
Figure 26.16 The chancel arch of the Nuns’ Church at Clonmacnoise.
