Kilwatermoy Church (in ruins)

Situated on a broad NE-facing shoulder of a S-N spur of Kilwatermoy Mountain. The parish church of Kilwatermoy is within a small rectangular graveyard (WA033-004002-) (dims. c. 50m N-S; c. 50m E-W), and is possibly of early origin. The church is described by O’Donovan c. 1840 (O’Flanagan 1929, 71-2) as measuring ‘47ft by 20ft’ (c. 14.3m x 6m) with the W wall and window, and part of the N and S walls remaining. It is now adapted as a mortuary enclosure (ext. dims. 14.7m E-W; 7.35m N-S) with reconstructed walls (T 0.7m; H 1.2m). Only the W wall (L 7.33m) is original, but there is no evidence of the window. The well of the Holy Cross (WA033-005----), c. 450m to E, is still venerated. A Man-made underground passage site (WA033-004004-) is N of the present graveyard, but probably within the bounds of a larger oval ecclesiastical enclosure (WA033-004001-) (dims. c. 100m N-S; c. 60m E-W) defined by a field bank and townland boundary with Churchquater SSW-N-SE and the graveyard wall at S. (Power 1898a, 213-14) Power, Rev. P. (1898a) Ancient ruined churches of Co. Waterford, WAJ 4, 83-95, 195-219. 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. Revised by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 27 September 2011