Church (in ruins)

Situated on the level landscape of the Cappagh valley. The church is possibly of early origin and may be the parish church of Kilrush, although this parish is not listed in the Civil Survey of 1654-6 (Simington 1942, 25). It is within a subrectangular graveyard (dims. c. 35-55m E-W; c. 35m N-S) defined by a stone-clad earthen bank that forms the townland boundary with Kilrush on all sides, except the W. The church is an undifferentiated structure (ext. dims. 7.25m E-W; 5.35m N-S) of which the W gable and the N and S walls (H 1.3-1.8m) survive. The W doorway is destroyed, but there is evidence of a window in the S wall and a record of another in the E wall (Power 1897b, 222-4). There is a record of a possible ogham stone (WA031-043004-) (Williams 1857, 324-5, fig. 11) associated with the site, but it is unreliable. A sarcophagus-like stone (WA031-043003-) is in the graveyard and a bullaun stone (WA031-0423005-) with two basins is built into a roadside wall, c. 90m to the SW. The church was conserved in the 1990s, and archaeologicl testing (03E0948) in the adjoining field failed to produce any related material (Noonan 2006c). Noonan, D. (2006c) Kilrush (Power), Dungarvan. Beside ecclesiastical site. in I. Bennett (ed.) Excavations 2003. summary account of excavations in Ireland, 497, No. 1873. Wordwell. Bray. Power, Rev. P. (1897b) The ancient ruined churches of Co. Waterford. WAJ 3, 3-12, 72-8; 216-227. Simington, R. C. (ed.) (1942) The Civil Survey AD 1654-1656, vi, the County of Waterford. Irish Manuscripts Commission. Dublin. Williams, W. (1857) Proceedings and papers - “Ogham readings; with an account of an ogham monument recently discovered in the ruins of the church of Kilrush, near Dungarvan, in the County of Waterford.” JRSAI 4, 324-40. 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: 25th August, 2011.