Church

The National Monuments Service's description

The parish church of St Mary's is situated on a W-E toe of relatively high ground within a D-shaped graveyard (dims c. 60m NE-SW; c. 40m NW-SE) defined by masonry walls, with the straight side at SW. References date from 1365 (Hore 1900-11, vol. 5, 79). According to a Visitation by Thomas Ram, the Protestant bishop of Ferns, in 1615 William Roche was the old curate and the church and chancel were in repair (ibid. vol. 6, 267). It is depicted by Grose (1791. vol. 1, pI. 132, and ff. 48) as a double nave church similar to St Patrick's (WX037-032010-) and St Selskar's (WX037-032009-). Only the W gable of the N aisle, with a damaged double bellcote and the foundations of the adjacent N side wall, survives, but the outline of the church (total L c. 30m E-W) can be traced. The N wall fell in January 2019 and conservation works (C000756) were conducted by C. McLoughlin (excavations.ie 2019:027) when no archaeological features came to light. (Cullen 1895, 374-5)

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: 19 December, 2012
Amended: 2 Sep. 2013; 23 December 2021

References

Cullen, J.B. 1895 The ancient chruches of the town of Wexford, Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, vol. 25, 369-77.

Grose, F. 1791 The antiquities of Ireland, 2 vols. London. S. Hooper.