Site of Bennetts Church

Situated in the S-N valley of the Curraghteskin stream at a point where a smaller SE-NW stream joins it just to the S. It is thought to have been a Chapel-of-Ease to Kilronan (WA001-024001-) by J. O'Donovan c. 1840, when it was known as Bennett's church (O'Flanagan 1929, 51). The grass-covered remains of the E wall (L 7.3m; max. H 1m) of a church are within a rectangular graveyard (dims. c. 80m E-W; c. 45m N-S), which also contains an old school building and a small number of headstones. The graveyard borders Casltereagh at E and S. A pebble with incised crosses was found in the graveyard (Lucas et al. 1972, 198-9). Archaeological testing (0050589) c. 60m to the SW in Curraghateskin townland failed to produce any related material (Wren 2000b). Lucas, A. T. (1972) National Museum acquisitions JRSAI 102, 181-239. O'Flanagan, M. (Compiler) (1929) Letters containing information relative to the antiquities of the county of Waterford collected during the progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1841. Typescript. Bray. Wren, J. (2000b) Croughateskin (sic), Ballymacarbry: adjacent to church and graveyard. in I. Bennett (Ed.) Excavations 1999: summary accounts of excavations in Ireland, 292, No. 842. Wordwell. Bray. 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. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload/revision: 6 December 2010

Bennetts Church in Graignagower is thought to have been a Chapel-of-Ease to Kilronan, likely built in the 19th century. Its exact builder and dedication are unknown, but it reflects the ecclesiastical patterns of rural Ireland during that period.