Publication Account

Date 1985

Event ID 1018836

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Publication Account

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1018836

RCAHMS: Exploring Scotland's Heritage - Argyll and the Western Isles, 1985

Oronsay Priory, a house of Augustinian canons, was founded in the second quarter of the 14th century by John, Lord of the Isles and is one of the rare medieval foundations in Argyll that lacks any Early Christian antecedent, though there was certainly earlier activity on Colonsayat for example, Riasg Buidhe (p. 158). The priory is of interest from an architectural point of view and there is also an extensive series of graveslabs displayed in the building known as the 'Priors House'. There are also important late medieval crosses, particularly that known as the Oronsay Cross situated outside the west end of the priory church.

The ruins of the priory form a compact group of buildings set to the north of the church: the church is aligned east and west with the altar at the east end and the side chapel known as the MacDuffie Chapel to the south; at the west end is the baptistry, possibly the basal part of an intended tower. To the north of the church is the small cloister with a further chapel and the chapter house at the east side. The refectory and presumably the dormitory were on the north side of the cloister, with the building known as the Priors Chapel projecting from the east end. A detached building a little to the north is known as the Priors House. Although some of the buildings may be as early as the mid-14th century foundation, most of the surviving remains belong to a succession of building phases between the late 14th and early 16th centuries, not all now easy to disentangle. One of the most dramatic features of the church is the large window at the east end with thin mullions dividing it into three arched lights; this is oflate 15th century date. The cloister is also of interest although parts have been largely reconstructed. The south side of the cloister arcade has round-headed arches which appear to be part of the original designi the unusual gable arches of the west side were re-modelled in the early 16th century and reconstructed in 1883. Two inscribed slabs are of particular interest as they record in Latin 'Canon Celestinus, director of this work' and 'Mael-Sechlainn 0 Cuinn, mason, made this work'.

The Oronsay Cross is one of the masterpieces of planning and execution of interlaced foliage design. On the front there is a figure of Christ crucified at the centre of the cross surrounded by ribbons of interlace; leafy roundels take up much of the shaft, but there are two little animals and a worn Latin inscription: 'This is the cross of Coli nus, son ofCristinus MacDuffie'. On the back foliate roundels again occupy the shaft with one arched to accommodate two little animals. On the socket stone there is an incised circle with rays which appears to be a worn 'mass-clock'. A further Latin inscription reads in translation 'Mael-Sechlainn O Cuinn, mason, made this cross'. O Cuinn was probably trained in Iona and the cross is certainly of the Iona School, and he was probably also the mason responsible for the reconstruction of the priory cloister in the early 16th century. This cross is one of the last major achievements of the Iona School.

To the east of the 'Priors Chapel', a cross-head has been amalgamated with a cross-shaft to which it was not originally joinedi the figure in the head of the cross, which has been carved with considerable skill and attention to detail, has been identified as St John the Evangelist.

Over thirty graveslabs have been brought together in the 'Priors House'; as there is no artificial light, visitors may find a torch useful to examine detail. Four representative stones are described and illustrated here. A characteristic graveslab of the Iona School has a central sword with the hand-grip attachments terminating in a round pommel. The plant decoration on either side of the blade is surmounted by a small animal. The rectangular feature at the bottom of the sword is a chest with a small canying-handle like that now used on a cash-box. A superb effigy of the Iona School retains much of the crisp detail with which the armour was carved: the bascinet (helmet), mail shoulder-piece and an aketon (quilted coat); the stitched portions, which would have been filled with protective padding are clearly indicated. The sword and the fittings of the sword belt are shown. The figures at the feet are perhaps symbolically unbuckling the spurs. Such an effigy is of 14th to 15th century date. The decoration of this slab shares features with the Loch Sween School, particularly in the layout of the animals and the interlace ornament; it has been suggested that the carver of this slab may also have been responsible for the fine cross of Alexander MacMillan at Kilmory. The stone that commemorates Murchardus MacDuffie is one of the liveliest examples of the Oronsay School with crisp detail both in the animal ornament and the galley at the base of the slab. The inscription reads 'Here lies Murchardus MacDuffie of Colonsay who died in the year of Our Lord 1539; and Mariota MacLean caused me to be made'. At the top of the slab there is a stag with two does behind him, beleaguered by a pack of hounds. The sword shows details of the hilt with decorated handle and traces of the chape with well thought out leaf pattern on either side. The galley is in full sail, one of the hallmarks of the Oronsay School, and details of the rigging and the rudder are still clearly visible.

Information from ‘Exploring Scotland’s Heritage: Argyll and the Western Isles’, (1985).