Church

The National Monuments Service's description

Located on a slight shelf on a S-facing slope. The parish church of Whitechurch is within a
rectangular graveyard (dims c. 40m E-W; c. 35m N-S) defined by masonry walls, with a rectangular extension (dims c. 20m E-W; c. 15m N-S) of the graveyard on the N side of the church. According to a Visitation by Thomas Ram, the Protestant bishop of Ferns, in 1615 William Warren was the old priest, Thomas ffleming was the priest, and the church and chancel were in repair (Hore 1900-11, vol. 6, 266, 270). The church is listed in the Civil Survey (1654-6) (Simington 1953, 194) and was described by Robert Leigh in 1684 as being in poor repair (Hore 1859, 454). There are no remains of the original church, and the site is now occupied by a Church of Ireland church built in 1740 according to a datestone over the door. This would be shortly after Whitechurch parish had been united with the parish of Kilmokea in 1723 (Lewis 1839, vol. 2, 714-5). A fragment of a limestone medieval grave slab (dims 0.78m x 0.42m; T 0.2m) with a chamfered edge and a raised cross that has fleur-de-lis terminals, is in the graveyard.

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: 29 January, 2013
Amended: 4 Sep. 2013

References

Simington, R.C. (ed.) 1953 The Civil survey, AD 1654-1656. Vol. IX: county of Wexford. Dublin. Irish Manuscripts Commission.

Lewis, S. 1837 A topographical dictionary of Ireland, 2 vols. London. Lewis and Co.

Hore, H. F. 1858-9 A chorographic account of the southern part of the county of Wexford, written Anno 1684: by Robert Leigh, esq., of Rosegarland, in that county. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiequaries of Ireland, vol. 5, 17-21; 451-67.