Church

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on a slight rise on the flood-plain of the N-S River Slaney, with the stream c. 200m to the W. This is the Romanesque parish church of Templeshannon, which is named after St. Seanán of Scattery Island in Clare (Ó Riain 2011, 558). It is within a D-shaped graveyard (dims c. 50m N-S; c. 40m E-W) defined by masonry walls with straight walls at the E and S. The church pre-dates the Anglo-Norman settlement of Enniscorthy and it was surrendered by the Bishop to Phillp Prendergast in 1227, in exchange for other lands (Hore 1900-11, vol. 6, 342-4).

It consists of a nave with an added chancel. The nave (ext. dims. 13.1m E-W; 7.5m N-S) walls survive to roof level, except the W and E walls which are partly rebuilt. The entrance in the W wall is destroyed, but there is a plain 12th century round-headed window in the S wall at E the end. Only the E wall of the chancel (ext. dims 11.4m E-W; 7.5m N-S) survives with a late rectangular, mullioned granite window. There is a stoup and a shale bullaun stone (dims 0.8m x 0.43m; T 0.26m) with a single basin (dims 0.35m x 0.28m; D 0.14m) in the nave. Archaeological monitoring (95E0047) of the laying of a sewage pipe in the street to the W and N of the graveyard, produced no related material (Channing 1997, 192, No. 595). (Culleton 1999, 127-8; Breen 2010)

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: 31 May, 2012
Amended: 7 April, 2014

References

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.

Breen, A. 2010 St. Senán. in C. Tóibín (ed.) Enniscorthy: a history, 73-82. Wexford. Wexford County Council Public Library Service.

Channing, J. 1998 Enniscorthy. No archaeological significance. in I. Bennett (Ed.) Excavations 1997: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 192, No. 595. Bray, Wordwell

Ó Riain, P. 2011 A dictionary of Irish Saints. Dublin. Four Courts Press.

Culleton, E. 1999 Celtic and Early Christian Wexford. Dublin: Four Courts Press, 1999.