St. Orans Church (in ruins) — Farnane Lower

Marked 'St. Oran's Church (in ruins)' on the 1840 ed. of the OS 6-inch map, and situated on the S-facing slope of a W-E valley, just E of the NW-SE Farrane stream at the point where it turns E. The overgrown foundations of a rectangular structure (dims. 19.5m NW-SE; 8.5m NE-SW), traditionally associated with a children's burial ground, survive but no enclosure or grave-markers are visible. There is a record of a bullaun stone or stoup that can no longer be found, and a holy well had been obliterated by a change in the course of the stream while a roadway that approached the site had long been removed by the landowner (Power 1986b, 77-8). Power, Rev. P. (1896b) The ancient ruined churches of Waterford. WAJ. 2, 2-15, 195-298. 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: 23 March, 2011. Compiled by: Michael Moore