Church (in ruins) — Churchtown (forth By., Tacumshin Ed)

Situated on a slight E-facing slope. The parish church of Tacumshin dedicated to St. Catherine is within a subrectangular graveyard (max. dims c. 65m E-W; c. 30m N-S) defined by earthen banks and hedges. References to the church date from the early 15th century (Hore 1920, 72-3), and the names of many of the clergy are known (Hore 1949, 30-3). According to Bishop Thomas Ram, the Protestant bishop of Fern, in 1615 Philip Rawe was the vicar and the church and chancel were in repair (Hore 1900-11, vol. 6, 267). The remains consist of the ivy-covered walls of a nave and chancel church, with a S aisle and the outline of a N aisle. The nave (int. dims 12.7m E-W; 5.8m N-S) is represented by the W gable with a pointed window (Wth 0.16m; H 1.16m) in a lintelled embrasure (Wth 1.2m; H 1.8m), and a length of the N wall at the W end. A N aisle is outlined by some of the foundation courses. The S aisle (ext. dims 9.2m E-W; 5.1m N-S; int. dims. 6.85m E-W; 3.5m N-S) survives complete to the roof level with gables at E (H 3.8m) and W (H c. 4m) and a statue shelf on the E wall. It is entered from the nave by three round arches (Wth 1.92m; H 1.65m; D 1m) of dressed limestone voussoirs resting on two rectangular and chamfered piers (dims 0.76m x 0.47m) of limestone. The arches could be closed with shutters and the E pier has corbels on its N and S faces probably to support rood screens in both the nave and the S aisle. The S aisle has a double ogee-headed window (Wth 0.54m; H 1.4m) with the central mullion missing in an arched embrasure (Wth 1.4m; H 1.8m) on the E wall. There are three single ogee-headed windows (Wth 0.19m; H 0.78m) in lintelled embrasures (Wth 0.9-0.97m; H 1.25-1.38m) in the S wall, one with a glazing channel, and there is a rectangular window (Wth 0.3m; H 0.84m) with a glazing bar in the W wall. This aisle also has a tomb niche (Wth 1.7m; H 0.65m; D 0.2m) at the W end of the S wall and a small granite bullaun stone (dims 0.44m x 0.37m; H 0.23m plus) with a single basin (diam. 0.2m; D 0.22m) is buried in the ground at the W end of the S aisle. A pointed chancel arch (Wth 2.2m; H 1.45m) leads to the chancel (int. dims 7.27m E-W; 3.92m N-S) surviving to the roof level, except at the W end of the N wall. The S pier of the chancel arch has a hagioscope or viewing window from the nave. There is a three-light ogee-headed window (Wth 1.25m; H 1.78m) with glazing grooves, and a statue shelf N of it in the E wall. The S wall has an ogee-headed aumbry (Wth 0.42m; H 0.58m; D 0.26m) at its E end and a single-light ogee-headed window (Wth 0.19m; H 0.97m) with a glazing groove at its W end. There is a graveslab (L 2.16m; Wth 0.55-0.67m) in the chancel with an incised floriated cross and an incised inscription in Latin commemorating John Ingram, who has been identified, possibly, as a Canon of Ferns in 1304 (FitzGerald 1903; Hore 1949, 31). The cruciform remains of the Church of Ireland church of St. Catherine that was built in 1835 for the Ecclesiastical District of Churchtown, which included the parishes of Tacumshin and Ballymore (Lewis 1837, vol. 1, 326), is just W of the medieval church. The site of St Catherine's Well (WX053-003----) is c. 115m to the ESE of the original church. The Hay castle (WX053-004----) is c. 150m to the ESE and the Siggins castle (WX053-001----) is c. 550m to the WNW. 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. See the attached views taken from SE (001), E (002), raised from W, and of windows in the S aisle (004). Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload/revision: 21 March 2014