CHURCH OF THE HOLY ROSARY IN GREYSTONES [COUNTY WICKLOW]
Described as being a “fine, well preserved and quite rare example of a Romanesque Revival Church marred only by the addition of Tyrolean plaster finish to the exterior walls”
Detached multiple-bay single-storey (Tyrolean) rendered Romanesque Revival style Roman Catholic church, built 1904-09 to designs by W.H. Byrne. Irregular shaped plan which incorporates a castellated topped three-stage square tower, transepts and side lean-to rear porch entrances. All windows and doors are set into semi-circular arch headed openings with drip mouldings.
A free standing water stoop sits to the side of the timber sheeted front double door, to either side of which is a small single window. Directly above is a grouping of three windows, the central one is slightly taller. A small glazed sexafoil sits within the gable peak. There are reducing double buttresses to each external corner and between each window on the long sides of the nave.
Gables to the transepts both have groupings of three windows, the central one being slightly taller and a small glazed sexafoil within the peak. The church is slightly set back behind a low rendered wall with square gate pillars with pyramidal caps and wrought-iron gates.
Internal Removal of the altar rails and moving the altar forward appear to be the only changes to the original interior which remains complete with wagon roof trusses, pictorial leaded windows, figurative stations of the cross and all original mosaic decoration to chancel.
The chancel is semi-circular in plan and has a ribbed (half) domed roof. The simple pews may be original but the decorative encaustic tiled floor may date from the Edwardian era.
