Church (in Ruins) — Tomhaggard

Situated on a low E-W ridge. The parish church of Tomhaggard is within a subrectangular graveyard (dims c. 90m E-W; c. 25-30m N-S) defined by masonry walls. There is a small annexe (dims c. 25m N-S; c. 30m E-W) attached to the NE of the graveyard defined by earthen banks and hedges, which has become a burial ground for the remains of the unknown drowned recovered from the sea. The name is derived from Tuaim an tSagairt – the priest’s mound – or more probably from Tuaim Mosacra – the tomb of St. Moshagra of Saggart, an obscure saint connected with Glendalough whose pattern on March 3 was celebrated at Tomhaggard (Ó Riain 2011, 498-9). References to the church date from the early 13th century and probably earlier (Hore 1900-11, vol. 4, 311). Many churches had been granted by Hervey de Montmorency to Christchurch in Canterbury c. 1180, but in 1245 Canterbury assigned their rights in them, including Thamasre or Tamagre (Tomhaggard), to Tintern abbey (WX045-027001-) (ibid. vol. 3, 27-8, 32). However, in 1255 as they couldn’t agree Canterbury granted Tomhaggard to Geoffrey St. John, later Bishop of Ferns, whose family were probably already in possession (Brooks 1950, 36). In 1552 Balthazar Butler was rector (Hore 1900-11, vol. 6, 224). According to a visitation by Thomas Ram, the Protestant bishop, in 1615 William Roche was Rector and Jacob Stafford was the vicar, and the church and chancel were in repair (ibid. vol. 6, 269). This is an undivided nave and chancel church (ext. dims 19.9m WNW-ESE; 6.45m NNE-SSW; int. dims 18.15m WNW-ESE; 4.85m NNE-SSW) with ivy-covered walls (Wth 1.05m; H 2.7m) surviving complete, apart from sections of the N wall. There is a blocked doorway, originally pointed according to John O’Donovan writing c. 1840 (O'Flanagan 1933, vol. 2, 198-200), in the S wall but the N wall opposite this is destroyed. The S wall has a destroyed window about its centre and a pointed aumbry at the E end. The W wall has an ogee-headed window (Wth 0.28m; H 1m) with glazing-grooves in a double-splay embrasure. It has a linetelled inner embrasure (Wth 1.36m; H 1.95m) and a lintelled external embrasure (Wth 0.75m; H 1.25m), and the gable has a double bellcote at the apex. The N wall has a narrow window (Wth 0.22m; H 0.9m) in a damaged embrasure opposite the window in the S wall with a narrow, robbed window in a round-headed embrasure (Wth 1m; H 1.3m) to the E., neither surviving complete. There is a highly decorated shallow tomb-niche (Wth 2.15m; H 1.25m; D 0.3m) at the E end of the N wall that would serve as an Easter Sepulchre, and single corbels in the N and S walls 7m from the E end indicates the location of a rood screen to separate the nave from the chancel. The E wall has a three-light, cusped ogee-headed tracery window in an embrasure (Wth 2.05m; H 3.4m). St Anne's Well (WX047-051----) and St James' Well (WX047-049----) are c. 55m to the SW and c. 110m to the WSW respectively, and the mass-house (WX047-050001- and tower house (WX047-050002-) are c. 70m to the SSW. Archaeological testing (04E0840) in a D-shaped field (dims c. 70m E-W; c. 30m N-S) just N of the graveyard produced evidence of two large curving fosses centred on the church. The inner ditch (Wth 2.7-3.1m) was just N of the graveyard wall and the outer fosse (Wth 2.9-3.5m) was more curved and was just inside the curving field boundary. A wider fosse (Wth 7m) appeared in the most westerly trench. All the features produced medieval pottery, and the ditches can be interpreted as a multi-vallate ecclesiastical enclosure. (McLoughlin 2004; 2007) 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: 21 October, 2013 McLoughlin, C. 2004 Pre-planning archaeological assessment, Tomhaggard, Co. Wexford. Unpublished report, Stafford McLoughlin Archaeology.