Ballyvalloo Church (in ruins) — Ballyvalloo Lower

Situated on a slight rise in a low-lying landscape with the sea-shore c. 300m to the SE. The parish church of Ballyvalloo parish is within a raised oval graveyard (dims. 35m E-W; 23m N-S) defined by a masonry wall. According to a Visitation by Thomas Ram, the Protestant bishop of Ferns, in 1615 it was impropriate to a leper hospital, Nicholas Rochford was the curate, and the church and chancel were in repair (Hore 1900-11, vol. 6, 271). The grass covered spread (Wth c. 3m) of the walls of a nave (ext. dims 10.5m E-W; 9.3m N-S), and a chancel (ext. dims 7.7m E-W; 5.4m N-S) of mortared shale walls (H 3m; T 0.7m) survive. An ivy-covered rounded chancel arch (Wth 1.63m) of uncut stone and a destroyed window opening in the E wall of the chancel are the only features. The site of St Peter's Well, at which patterns were held on 29th June in the 19th century according to John O’Donovan writing c. 1840 (O'Flanagan 1933, vol. 1, 353), is c. 100m to the E but its precise location is not known. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Wexford' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1996). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload/revision: 5 September, 2012 Amended: 4 Sep. 2013