Church (in ruins) — Crooke

Situated on a gentle E-facing slope. A preceptory of the Knights Templar was founded at Crooke before 1180, but its possessions passed to the Knights Hospitallers of Killure (WA017-018001-) in 1327. By the Suppression in 1541 its possessions were reduced to 120 acres, and the church probably functioned as the parish church of Crooke (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 329, 336; Wood 1906-07, 369). As a parish church it was described as in good repair in 1613 (Anon. 1902, 113). The church is an undifferentiated structure (dims. 24.6m N-S; 6.75m E-W) defined by wall foundations with evidence of one window in the S chancel wall, and a doorway in the S nave wall with a stoup nearby. The chancel arch and a second doorway in the S wall, recorded by O’Donovan c. 1840 (O’Flanagan 1929, 5-6), have been removed. The E gable survives with three lancet windows, now robbed-out and overgrown with ivy. St John’s Well is outside the subrectangular graveyard (dims. c. 60m NW-SE; c. 50m NE-SW) defined by a masonry wall to the SE. There are some cut-stone in the graveyard and near the well, that are 16th/17th century in character and may have originated from tower house (WA018-023002-) c. 70m to the S. (Walton 1979c) Anon. (1902) Documents illustrating the history of Waterford: 1 – The Protestant diocese of Waterford in 1615. WAJ 8, 103-19. Gwynn, A. and Hadcock, R. N. (1970) (reprint 1988) Medieval religious houses in Ireland. Irish Academic Press, Dublin. 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. Walton, J. (1979c) Aspects of Passage East. Part III. Decies, No. 12, 43-5. Wood, H. (1906-07) The Templars in Ireland. PRIA 26C, 327-77. 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: 26 September 2011