Church

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on a low N-S ridge. This is an early ecclesiastical site and the parish church of Kilbarrymeaden at the NW corner of a small rectangular graveyard (WA024-040002-) (dims. c. 35m E-W; c. 20m N-S) defined by drystone walls. This is a nave (int. dims. 13.5m E-W; 6.45m N-S) and chancel (int. dims. 6.75m E-W; 4.05m N-S) church, of which the nave, largely rebuilt of drystone walling and featureless, was added to the chancel. The chancel walls survive almost complete, except the E wall and the chancel arch. It comprises large well-set stones with an inserted plain light in the S wall.
A graveslab (WA025-040005-) (dims. 1.94m x 0.73m) dated 1602 commemorating Nicholas Power of Georgestown c. 3km to the NW in a roman script (Power 1896, 195-8) is in the chancel. A bullaun stone (WA025-040004-) (dims. 1.5m x 1.3m; max. H 0.47m) with two basins (diam. 0.34-0.38m; D 0.12m: diam. 0.34m; D 0.13m) is just E of the graveyard in a field that contains a field system (WA025-040003-). This is an area of c. 4ha with the remains of five or six fields (dims. c. 30m x c. 30m) defined by low grass-covered banks or scarps and bordered by a sunken roadway (WA025-040006-) (Wth 3-6m; L c. 50m) at its S edge. St Bernard's Well (WA025-041----), a circular spring (diam. 4.2m) which is still venerated, is c. 500m to the SW. The ogham stone (WA025-078----) from Kilbeg, the townland immediately to the E, may have come from here originally.

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Waterford' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1999). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Compiled by: Michael Moore.

Date of upload/revision: 16th May 2011.

References

Power, Rev. P. 1896 The ancient ruined churches of Co. Waterford. Waterford and South East of Ireland Archaeological Journal 2, 2-15, 195-208.