17th Century Demesne Chapel

Location of the chapel on the first edition OS map where it is marked 'Ruin'.

The demesne chapel at Strokestown is located to the south west of the house, immediately west of the walled gardens. It was built in the latter half of the 17th century around the same time as the first house.

The chapel is rectangular in plan; the walls are constructed from limestone rubble and are clay bonded. There is a small tracery window of uncertain date in the eastern gable wall and a probable bell cote on the apex of the western gable.

The chapel is the burial place of Captain Mahon and his wife Magdalen Mahon nee French. A fine mural altar monument was erected in their memories on the east wall of the chapel by their eldest son John Mahon in 1686.

The chapel was marked 'Ruin' on the first edition OS map. Suggesting that it had been out of use for some time by 1837-42.

Sometime between c.1837-42 and 1888-1913*, when the 25 inch O.S. map was surveyed the 17th century chapel was converted into a mausoleum. The mausoleum structure occupies western two-thirds of the chapel blocking off access to the eastern part with its 17th century funerary monument. The entrance to the mausoleum is in the southern wall of the chapel, probably where the original chapel doorway stood.

(* I'm not sure when exactly the Roscommon maps were surveyed)



The chapel is marked 'Mausoleum' on the 25 inch map.


Looking East: Note what appears to be a bell cote under the ivy on the northern gable.


17th century mural altar tomb located to north of the alter on east gable of the chapel.



UNDER THIS MONUMENT LIE THE BODIES OF CAPTAIN NICHOLAS MAHON OF STROKESTOWN WHO DYED THE 10TH OF OCTOBER 1680 IN THE 60TH YEAR OF HIS AGE AND OF HIS DEARLY BELOVED WIFE MAGDALEN MAHON ALIAS FRENCH WHO DYED THE 13TH OF MARCH 1683 IN THE 50TH YEAR OF HER AGE IN WHOSE MEMORIES THEIR ELDEST SON JOHN MAHON OF STROKESTOWN ESQ CAUSED THIS MONUMENT TO BE ERECTED ANNO DOMI 1686


Window in eastern gable of the chapel.


Entrance to later19th century mausoleum in the south wall of the chapel.