Church (in ruins)

Situated at the E-facing foothills of the Monavullagh Mountains, c. 350m W of the NW-SE River Tay. This is the parish church of Kilrossanty within a D-shaped graveyard (WA023-007002-) (dims. c. 42m N-S; c. 45m E-W) defined by stone-faced earthen banks with straight N and E sides. The graveyard is part of a suboval or D-shaped ecclesiastical enclosure (WA023-007008-) (dims. c. 65m E-W; 42m N-S) defined by a curved scarp (H 0.9-1.2m) outside the graveyard NE-SE and the graveyard perimeter S-W. The church consists of a nave (int. dims. 16.45m E-W; 6.9m N-S) and chancel (int. dims. c. 9m E-W; 6.9m N-S) that survive in places to a height of c. 1m. The N nave wall, the E chancel wall and the adjacent parts of the N and S walls are all reduced to the foundations. A pointed chancel arch (Wth 2.25m), with evidence of wicker centering, incorporates a fragment of a cross-inscribed graveslab (WA023-007006-) in the N pier, and there is a hagioscope or squint (Buckley 1898, 114-5) (dims. 0.59m x 0.12m) in the N pier. There is one blocked light in the S nave wall and there is a tomb recess in the N chancel wall. Tober Mhuire (WA023-007003-), Tober Brigid (WA023-007004-) and Tober Íosa (WA023-007005-) are at the base of the enclosure scarp to the E of the graveyard, with the remains of a sunken roadway (WA023-007007-) (Wth 5-10m) extending off from there to the SE. There is no evidence of veneration at the wells, but in the 1840s offerings were left at the W wall of the church (O'Flanagan 1929, 36-7). (Power 1897b, 6-9; Power 1938a, 64-5) Buckley, M. J. C. (1898) Ecclesiological gleanings and jottings in Waterford and elsewhere, WAJ vol. 4, 142-6. O'Flanagan, M. (Compiler) (1929) Letters containing information relative to the antiquities of the county of Waterford collected during the progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1841. Typescript. Bray. Power, Rev. P. (1897b) The ancient ruined churches of Waterford. WAJ 3, 3-12, 72-8; 216-227. Power, Rev. P. (1938a) Some old churches of Decies, JRSAI, 68, 55-68. 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. Date of upload/revision: 25th March, 2011. Compiled by: Michael Moore.