Church

The National Monuments Service's description

According to a Visitation by Thomas Ram, the Protestant bishop of Ferns, in 1615 William Warren was the rector and Jacob Prendergast the curate but the church and chancel of Dunawny were in ruins (Hore 1900-11, vol. 6, 270). The church is depicted as a rectangular structure (dims. c. 15m E-W; c. 8m N-S) and described as a 'Church (in ruins)' in gothic script on the 1839 ed. of the OS 6-inch map. It is situated on the NW side of a broad NE-SW ridge. The site of the parish church of Doonooney is visible as a slightly dished oval area (dims. 60m N-S; 38m E-W) defined by a slight scarp, with traces of an external fosse (Wth 12m; D 0.2m) ENE-SE. There is no evidence of the church building or of burial apart from a fragment of one headstone with no inscription that is built into a field bank just to the N. Archaeological testing (00E0800) c. 100m to the E in Coolnagree townland failed to produce any related material (Dennehy 2002). The motte site (WX031-028001-) is c. 100m to the NW.

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: 28 August, 2012
Amended: 4 Sep. 2013

References

Dennehy, E. 2002c Coolnagree. Proximity to archaeological sites. In I. Bennett (ed.), Excavations 2000: summary account of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 354, No. 1051. Bray. Wordwell.