Church (in Ruins), Grave Yd.

Situated on a gentle S-facing slope overlooking a small stream (on the S side of the road). The church is of two-period construction and the chancel may have been added in medieval or post-medieval times. It is called 'St. Catherine's Church' and there is reference to a church here belonging to the diocese of Dublin in 1216 (Donnelly 1893). This may already have been of some antiquity. The chancel (int. dims. 8.53m x 4.8m) is of uncoursed masonry (wall T 0.83m) and the E gable and S wall are substantially intact. The door in the S wall has a low pointed arch of two interlocking slabs set in a round-headed embrasure. Sandstone pointed-arched windows occur in the E and S walls. The nave (int. dims. 11.2m x 6.8m) is of roughly coursed rubble (wall T 1.1-1.2m) with alternating courses of slate and schist, and a herringbone detail in the outer face of the N wall. There is a slight indication of bonding between the walls of the two compartments, and the N wall of the nave projects 2m beyond the junction with the chancel. The W end of the nave is poorly preserved but there may have been a door in the centre at the W. There is a door with pointed arch in the S wall. A narrow gap (Wth c. 1m) connected the nave and chancel. The church stands in the centre of a quadrangular graveyard (WI019-001001-) (max. dims. 70m E-W; 40m N-S) enclosed by a modern wall. There are a number of early 18th-century headstones both in the graveyard and in the church. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Wicklow' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 17 December 2008