Site of Abbey — Clashmore

Located towards the bottom of a S-facing slope on the N bank of the Greagagh River at a point where it changes from a NE-SW direction and turns W to join the N-S River Blackwater c. 2.3 km to the W. This is an early ecclesiastical site (WA037-008001-) founded by St Cronin or Mochua in the 7th century (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 31). It is also the site of the parish church of Clashmore within a neglected rectangular graveyard (dims. c. 100m E-W; c. 60m N-S) which contains a C of I church that has recently been converted into a heritage centre. There is no visible evidence of an older structure apart from two window fragments from the parish church which remain from a previous total of five. There is also crude stone ringed cross ((H 0.26m; Wth 0.32m; T 0.1m)(Power 1896b, 202). St Mochua’s Well (WA037-007----) is c. 300m to the W. Archaeological excavation (07E0051) on a small site c. 40m N of the graveyard produced no related material (Lynch 2010b), and testing (06E1088) on a large area (dims. c. 270m N-S; c. 125m E-W) W of the graveyard produced only post-medieval features (Lynch 2009). Gwynn, A. and Hadcock, R. N. (1970) (reprint 1988) Medieval religious houses in Ireland. Irish Academic Press, Dublin. Lynch, R. (2009) Clashmore. Post-medieval activity. in I. Bennett (ed.) Excavations 2006: summary accounts of excavations in Ireland, 527-8, No. 1980. Wordwell. Dublin. Lynch, R. (2010b) Mansfield, Clashmore. No archaeological significance. in I. Bennett (Ed.) Excavations 2007: summary accounts of excavations in Ireland, 513, No. 1810. Wordwell. Dublin. 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. Revised by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 10th November 2011