(Site of) Kilbrack Church

Located just off the crest of the E-facing slope of a wide N-S col with summits c. 400m to the SW and c. 700m to the NNW. This is an early ecclesiastical site consisting largely of an ecclesiastical enclosure (WA002-048003-). This is a circular grass-covered area (dims. 80m WNW-ESE; 77m NNE-SSW) defined by an earthen bank (Wth 3m; int. H 1.5m; ext. H 1.8-2.2m) with internal and external stone-facing, which survives only E-S-W where it functions as a field bank. Elsewhere it is defined by a slight scarp. There is no evidence of a church structure but a graveyard (WA002-048002-) is marked faintly on the 1840 ed. of the OS 6-inch map as a subrectangular area (dims. c. 60m E-W; c. 55m N-S) on the inner side of the enclosure perimeter at W, but no evidence of it survives. However, three bullaun stones of Old Red Sandstone conglomerate (WA002-048004-; WA002-048005-; WA002-048006-) are at the site, and a fourth (WA002-048007-) may be missing. A rectangular stone (WA002-048004-) (dims. 0.8m x 0.6m) with one basin (dims. 30cm x 40cm; D 15cm) is built into the inner face of the bank at S. A large triangular stone (WA002-048005-) (dims. 1.4m x 0.2-1.15m; T 0.4-0.7m) with two basins (diam. 22-24cm; D 6cm: diam. 20-33cm; D 16cm) is at the E end of the surviving bank. This is one of the two marked on the 1928 ed. of the OS 6-inch map, but it is probably not in its original position. A third stone (WA002-048006-) is triangular (dims. 0.4m x 0.38m; T 0.16m) with a single basin (dims. 17-19cm; D 6cm) and is on the inner face of the field bank at W. A second stone (WA002-048007-) is marked on the 1928 ed. of the map on a field bank running N from the perimeter at E, which is now removed, but there is local knowledge that another stone was buried on the site when the land was reclaimed. 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: 27th August, 2010.