St Marys Church

Located on a gentle W-facing slope with a N-S stream c. 300m to the W. The parish church of Old Ross dedicated to St. Mary is within a rectangular graveyard (dims c. 60m NE-SW; c. 50m NW-SE) defined by stone-faced earthen banks and hedges. According to a Visitation by Thomas Ram, the Protestant bishop of Ferns, in 1615 Archdeacon William Campyon was the rector, Jacob Prendergast was the priest, and the church and chancel were in repair (Hore 1900-11, vol. 6, 270). The foundations of a wall (L 9.5m E-W; T 0.45m; max. H 0.7m) with a second wall (L 3.7m; T 0.5m) running N from its W end is just N of present Church of Ireland church, which was built after insurgents burnt the old church in 1798 (Lewis 1837, vol. 2, 533). There is a cross inscribed pillar (dims. 0.34m x 0.22m; H 0.9m) in the NE part of the graveyard. It has a cross on its SE face of single incised lines (H 0.45m; Wth 0.25m) with cross-bars on the terminals . The motte and bailey (WX030-052001-) and the castle site of Old Ross (WX030-052002-) are c. 450m to the NW. 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: 15 August, 2012 Amended: 2 Sep. 2013