Church in Ardra

In the grounds of Catlecomer Demesne. The ground rises steeply from the entrance to the modern graveyard, up to the position of the present 18th-century C of I church. According to Carrigan (1905, vol. 2, 159-160) this was the location of the 'ancient Catholic parish church of the Holy Cross of Castlecomer'. There are several references to the parish church in the Red Book of Ossory between the 14th and 16th centuries (Ó Drisceoil 2018, 50). It is likely that the medieval church was taken down when a new church was built in 1635-7 by Christopher Wandesforde as part of his new planned town (ibid.; Farrelly et al. 1993). This church appears to have been destroyed in 1641 by the Confederate Catholics as a number of planters had taken refuge there when the town was being attacked (Farrelly et al. 1993). It is possible that the present C of I church was built on or near the location of the medieval church. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 18 January 2022