Church in Kilgrovan

Located on a slight rise in a level, low-lying tillage landscape with Clonea strand c. 120m to the E. This is an early ecclesiastical site described as an eroded 'killeen' at which five ogham stones had been discovered (Brash 1868-9b, 438). It is depicted only on the 1927 ed. of the OS 6-inch map as an arc of bank (c. 35m) S-E. These ogham stones are now kept at Mount Melleray monastery (WA021-003----) (Macalister 1945, vol. 1, 281-5). A cresset-stone or lamp (Power 1906b, 149; Moore 1984-5, 112) found c. 1900 and two other ogham stones found in the 1960s are now in the National Museum of Ireland (WA031-045008-; WA031-045015-), while a disc quern is kept at a nearby house. Nothing is visible at ground level. (Killanin and Duignan 1967, 136) A geophysical survey conducted by GeoArc confirmed the existence of the ecclesiastical enclosure as a bivallate feature (int. diam. c. 50m; ext. diam. c. 60m), perhaps with an annexe or secondary enclosure attached to the SE, which may be the arc represented on the 1927 map. A number of smaller circular features (diam. c. 10m) within the enclosure could represent hut-sites, or even the church. Archaeological testing (03E1743) produced evidence of three kilns (WA031-045010-; WA031-045011-; WA031-045012-) outside the ecclesiastical enclosure, at SE (Purcell 2003, 22-3, 33; 2006). Further archaeological testing (07E0951) produced evidence of a ditch (Wth 3m; D 0.8m) beneath 1m of topsoil and two kilns in the area SE of the ecclesiastical enclosure (Kiely and Dolan 2007, 7; Kiely 2010). Brash, R. R. (1868-9b) Proceeding. JRSAI 10, 438-9. Kiely, J. and Doolan, A. (2007) Archaeological assessment report, Kilgrovan, Clonea, Co. Waterford. Unpublished report. Eachtra Archaeological Projects. Kiely, J. (2010) Kilgrovan. Possible ecclesiastical enclsoure and kilns. in I. Bennett (Ed.) Excavations 2007: summary accounts of excavations in Ireland, 514-5, No. 1819. Wordwell. Dublin. Killanin, and Duignan, M. V. (1967) The Shell guide to Ireland. London. The Ebury Press. Lucas, A. T. (1968-9) National Museum of Ireland: archaeological acquisitions in the year 1966. JRSAI 98-9, 93-115. Macalister, R. A. S. (1945) (reprint 1949) Corpus inscriptionum insularum Celticarum, 2 vols. Stationery Office, Dublin. Moore, M. (1984-5) Irish cresset-stones. JRSAI 114-5, 98-116. Power, Rev. P. (1906b) On four (or five) stone chalices from early church sites in the Decies, WAJ 9, 143-9. Purcell, A. (2003) Archaeological assesment. Kilgrovan, Clonea, Dungarvan, Co. Waterford. Licence Number 03E1743. Unpublished report. Sheila Lane and Associates. Purcell, A. (2006) Kilgrovan. Ecclesiastical site. in I. Bennett (Ed.) Excavations 2003: summary accounts of excavations in Ireland, 499-500, No. 1882. Wordwell. Bray. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Waterford' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1999). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 25 August, 2011

The Church in Kilgrovan was likely founded by early Christian missionaries, probably in the 6th to 7th century, and is dedicated to St Grovan, a 6th-century Irish saint. Its location and the presence of ogham stones indicate its significance as an early ecclesiastical and monastic site in the region.