Church in Killann

Located on a gentle S-facing slope in the foothills of the Blackstairs Mountains. This could be an early ecclestiastical site and the site of the parish church of Killann. According to a Visitation by Thomas Ram, the Protestant bishop of Ferns, in 1615 Robert Clere was the curate, and the church and chancel were in repair (Hore 1900-11, vol. 6, 272). The old church was pulled down c. 1835 according to John O'Donovan writing c. 1840 (O'Flanagan 1933, vol. 2, 102) and no traces of it are now visible within a subrectangular graveyard (dims. c. 50m N-S; c. 40m E-W) defined by an earthen bank. Traces of an ecclesiastical enclosure (diam. c. 100-120m) remain NE–S–NW of the graveyard, defined by a scarp (H c. 0.5m), but the perimeter is removed NW-NE by an E-W road and a carpark. St Anne's Well (WX018-011----) where the pattern was held on 26th July until 1824 and which is still venerated, lies c. 160m S of the graveyard. (Culleton 1999, 127) 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: 22 May, 2012 Amended: 4 Sep. 2013

The church at Killann was likely built in the medieval period, possibly as early as the 12th or 13th century, and may have been dedicated to St. Ann, after whom the townland is named. It is thought to have been the parish church of the area, reflecting the early Christian tradition of rural ecclesiastical settlements in Ireland.