Church in ruins — Rathmoylan

Situated on a bluff overlooking an E-W stream c. 60m to the N. The parish church of Rathmoylan was a rectory of the Benedictine monastery of St John the Evangelist, Waterford (WA009-005030-) in 1536 (Nolan 1984, 50). The present structure within a neglected rectangular graveyard (dims. 45m E-W; c. 35m N-S) is not medieval, although it is marked as a ruin on the 1840 ed. of the OS 6-inch map. The church is a rectangular building (ext. dims. 16.1m E-W; 7.35m N-S) surviving almost complete with a doorway towards the W end of the N wall, two pointed windows in the S wall, one in the N wall and one in the E gable. The remains of an older wall may lie beneath the S wall (Gittins 1990). Toberquan (WA027-040----), a natural spring, is c. 280m to the NW, while the site of a field system (WA027-039004-) and associated features is in the fields to the N, W and E. A pot quern found at the site is at a nearby house. (Power 1890-1, 477; Mulholland 1980, 44) Gittins, A. (1990) Investigation of Rathmoylan church, Co. Waterford, Decies, No. 43, 5-11. Mullholland, J. (1980) A checklist of Church of Ireland places of worship in County Waterford, Decies, No. 14, 43-9. Nolan, T. (1984) Listing of Monastic possessions in Waterford, c. 1540. Decies, No. 26, 45-51. Power, Rev. P. (1890-91) The ancient ruined churches of Co. Warterford. JRSAI 20-21, 475-82. 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. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload/revision: 10 June 2011