Kiltennel Church (in ruins)

Located at the top of a scarp down to a W-E stream that is c. 60m to the N, and c. 350m from the sea-shore. This is the parish church of Kiltennel, which was dedicated to St. Sinchael according to J. O'Donovan writing c. 1840 (O'Flanagan 1933, vol. 1, 11). According to a Visitation by Thomas Ram, the Protestant bishop of Ferns, in 1615 Matheus Lee was the rector, Murtagh Mc Parson the curate, and the church and chancel were in repair (Hore 1900-11, vol. 6, 273). The church is in the N part of a D-shaped graveyard (dims 40m E-W; 36m N-S) defined by an earthen bank (NE–S–NW), with a scarp down to the stream forming the straight side at N. The N and S walls of mortared shale (max. H 2m; T 0.85m) remain, apart from collapse at the E end. They represent a single cell structure (int. dims 15.3m E-W; 5.5m N-S). The walls are featureless apart from an entrance (Wth 0.9m) towards the W end of the S wall, and there are some 18th century graves inside the structure. 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: 12 April, 2012 Amended: 4 Sep. 2013