Church

The National Monuments Service's description

Located on top of the N end of Drumcannon Hill. This is the parish church of Drumcannon described as ruinous in 1615 (Anon. 1902, 111). The church is at the S perimeter of a subrectangular graveyard (WA025-017002-) (dims. c. 45m E-W; c. 35m N-S) defined by masonry walls. Only the W and S walls of the nave (int. dims. 10.3m E-W; 5.6m N-S) survive with no visible features, although single lights were recorded in each of these walls with a double bellcote over the W gable (Power 1895b, 134-7). The E wall of the medieval church was removed when a later church (int. dims. 12m E-W; 5.6m N-S), now ruinous, was built to the E in 1735 (Power 1937, 267). It was used for Protestant services until the end of the 18th century and had two windows in both the N and S walls, one in the E wall, and a small light and doorway in the W wall. No medieval dressed stone survives. (Walton 1992; Moore 1994)

Anon. (1902) Documents illustrating the history of Waterford: 1 - The Protestant diocese of Waterford in 1615. WAJ 8, 103-19.
Power, Rev. P. (1895b) The ancient ruined churches of Waterford. WAJ. 1, 133-41, 152-72; 247-53.
Power, Rev. P. (1937) Waterford and Lismore; a compendious history of the united dioceses. Cork University Press.
Walton, J. (1992) Monumental inscriptions at Drumcannon, Co. Waterford. Decies, No. 45, 49-62.
Moore, M. (1994) A church mystery solved. Archaeology Ireland, No. 29, 18.

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: 27 May 2011