St. Columbs Church (in ruins) — Ardcolm

Situated on a slight E-facing slope with a small N-S stream c. 30m to the E. This is the parish church of Ardcolm within a raised D-shaped graveyard (int. dims. 35m E-W; 34m N-S) defined by a tree-covered earthen bank (Wth 2-2.5m; int. H c. 1m; ext. H 2m). This is a nave (ext. dims. 10m E-W; 6.45m N-S) and chancel (ext. dims. 6.75m E-W; 5.40m N-S) church with walls (T 0.75-0.85m) of mortared shale, quartz and conglomerate surviving to a H of c. 3m. The original entrance in the W gable is now destroyed. Single undecorated lights survive in the N wall of the nave and of the chancel. The pointed chancel arch (Wth 2.4m) is of uncut stone, and the chancel walls are not bonded to the nave. St Columb's Well, a natural spring at which the pattern was held on the 9th June according to John O’Donovan writing c. 1840 (O'Flanagan 1933, vol. 1, 307) lies c. 130m to the SE, on the other side of the stream. Archaeological testing (03E1711) (03E1711) immediately S and SE of the graveyard at failed to produce any related material (Stafford 2006). 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: 18 January 2013