“One of the columns which supports the great tower of the Abbey Church
has on the upper portion the inscription, ‘Donaldus O’Brolchan fecit hoc
opus,’ and seems to think that that inscription fixes the name of the
builder of the church. Messrs. Buckler, in their description of the
architecture of the cathedral,[38] give the above inscription as
reading, ‘Donaldus ornatum fecit hoc opus.’”
The inscription is not now legible, but even if it were, it could give
little clue to the date of the edifice.
[Illustration: FIG. 994.--Iona Cathedral. View from North-West, showing
Cloister Garth, Central Tower, &c.]
[Illustration: FIG. 995.--Iona Cathedral. General View of Cathedral and
St. Oran’s Chapel, from South-West.]
There will probably be little difference of opinion regarding the
antiquity of the east wall of the north transept (see Fig. 996). The
character of the arches, shafts, and caps, even worn away as they are,
is distinctly late Norman or transition. The small round headed windows
in the recesses of the wide internal bays are also quite in keeping with
that
[Illustration: FIG. 996.--Iona Cathedral. East Side of North Transept.]
style. The depth of the recesses on each side of the central arch, with
its figure, which form a special feature, was rendered necessary by the
extra width of the wall required (as will be pointed out further on) to
admit of a passage in the thickness of the wall above. Almost all the
rest of the church appears to be of a much later date, and to belong,
with small exceptions, to the late fifteenth or early part of the
sixteenth century.
Part of the crossing, however, is probably older; but the other portions
of the crossing seem to have been rebuilt at a late date, as the
following indications show. The original arches of the north and west
sides have no mouldings, but are only chamfered, and the caps, so far as
visible, have an ancient character. The north arch has, at some period,
been strengthened by the insertion of additional piers, and an
additional arch within the then existing piers and arch (see Plan). The
old arch is distinctly visible in the wall, and portions of the old
piers are also exposed to view.
[Illustration: FIG. 997.--Iona Cathedral. North Side of Refectory.]
The arches of the east and south sides of the crossing are of a
different character from the above, the arches being fully moulded. The
piers (Fig. 998) do not differ much from those of the older sides, and
are all of an early form of design. The same character is kept up in the
inserted piers of the north arch, although these must undoubtedly be
later than the original piers. The mouldings seem all to have been
imitated from early forms (such as we find in the choir arch of the
nunnery).[39] The changes in the plans of the piers and mouldings,
common in the central districts of the mainland, would be long in
reaching this distant spot, and the old forms appear to have been,
therefore, adhered to. Such continuations or imitations of early forms
are very common in Scotland. It should be observed that the outer or
central shaft of each pier has a fillet on its central line, which
indicates (especially here) a somewhat advanced date (see Fig. 996). The
bases are of a very late type, as also the caps, both of which differ
from those of the earlier piers. From these facts we infer that the
south and east sides of the crossing have been rebuilt at a late period,
possibly at the time when the tower was erected. That part of the
edifice is always justly regarded as being very late, and the
rectangular windows and their tracery clearly support that view. If the
above supposition is correct, then the insertion of the additional piers
and arch under the north tower arch is explained. That addition would be
made at the time the tower was built, in order to make sure that the
support was sufficient to carry it. Similar extra strengthening was not
necessary in the case of the west arch, as it already had sufficient
piers and supports; and the additions to the piers of the north arch,
which
[Illustration: FIG. 998.--Iona Cathedral.