Church

The National Monuments Service's description

Located just off the crest of a plateau and c. 350m NW of the nearest point of the S-N Owenavorragh River. This is the site of the parish church of Killenagh within a neglected subrectangular graveyard (dim. c. 35-50m E-W; c. 45m N-S) defined by an earthen bank (Wth 3-4m; H c. 1m). According to a Visitation by Thomas Ram, the Protestant bishop of Ferns, in 1615 Daniel Morfy was the curate, and the church and chancel were in repair (Hore 1900-11, vol. 6, 272). The church, which Sir Walsingham Cooke rebuilt in the early 17th century (Loeber and Stouthammer-Loeber 1987, 197), is visible as a rectangular platform (dims. of top 21m E-W; 6m N-S; dims. of base 26m E-W; 8m N-S; H 0.3-1m) defined by scarps or traces of walls with slight holows at the E and W ends. A graveslab commemorating Mary, the wife of Walsingham Cooke and her grandson Walsingham Parsons, dated 1641, is within the church at the E end. It may cover a vault. (Hore 1911, vol. 6, 570–1)

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Wexford' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1996). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload/revision: 21 May, 2012

References

Loeber, R. and Stouthamer-Loeber, M. 1987 The lost architecture of the Wexford Plantation. In K. Whelan and W. Nolan (eds), Wexford: history and society, 173-200. Dublin. Geography Publications.

Hore, P.H. 1900-1911 (Reprint 1979) History of the town and county of Wexford, 6 vols. Dublin. Published by arrangement with W.A. Hennessy Esq.