Church

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on a shelf towards the E end of a low E-W ridge. The parish church of Ardcandrisk is thought to have been founded by St. Mo Beoc of Ard Cainross (Culleton 1999, 128). According to a Visitation by Thomas Ram, the Protestant bishop of Ferns, in 1615 Robert Reyner was the vicar, and the church and chancel were in repair (Hore 1900-11, vol. 6, 270). The church is within a subrectangular, neglected graveyard (dims. c. 40-45m E-W; c. 30-35m N-S) defined by an earthen bank with external stone facing. The base of the nave (int. L at least 9.95m; int. Wth 4.6m) walls (Wth c. 1m; H 1m) with an entrance (Wth 1m) at S survives. The chancel is rebuilt (int. L 5.2m; int. Wth 4m) with masonry walls (Wth 0.55-0.75m; H 2m) perhaps as a mortuary chapel, with an entrance (Wth 1m) from the nave, S of the centre. A rectangular font (ext. dims 0.63m x 0.5m; int. dims 0.42m x 0.32m; H 32m) of conglomerate stone with a central drain-hole is in the nave. St Eusebius' Well (WX037-023----) is c. 100m to the N. Mound site (WX037-025----) is c. 40m to the S. The church is mis-named as a castle on the 1941 ed. of the OS 6-inch map.

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: 12 December, 2012
Amended: 4 Sep. 2013

References

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