Post-Medieval Churches, Co. Wexford

The following list is from the ‘Archaeological Survey of County Wexford’. It should be of use to any genealogical researcher regardless of whether or not they ever visit Ireland in that it names those churches which are considered to be or have been parish churches for an area giving the townland that the church was located it. It also gives some indication of whether or not there was a graveyard associated with the church, as well as graveyards that were not located in the grounds of a church. Plus, it gives us some idea of the period churches were in use.


The placenames are listed alphabetically:

ADAMSTOWN
OS 31:13:1 Church (site). Catholic church marked ‘R.C. Chapel’ on 1841 bS 6-inch map and depicted faintly as cross-shaped structure. No visible remains at ground level.Toberbaun or Tober Abban, still venerated, c. 400m to S.
30-9-1987

AUGHCLARE
OS 34:16:4 Church (site) Catholic church marked faintly and described as ‘Site of chapel’ on 1841 OS map. At bottom of steep slope and adjacent to wet land. No visible remains of structure, enclosure or buried at ground level.
29-7-1988

BALLYDOYLE
OS 47:11:3 ‘St Bridget’s Cath. Ch. (in Ruins)’ Catholic church marked ‘R.C. Chapel (in ruins)’ on 1841 OS 6-inch map. Foundations of rectangular structure (dims. 7.55m E-W; 5.25m N-S) with entrance (Wth 1.05m) at W. Within rectanglular enclosure (dims. 22m N-S; 21m E-W) defined by earthen bank (Wth c. 3m; inL H 0.5m; ext. H 0.8-1.4m). Possible entrances at W (Wth 1.2m) and S (Wth 1.85m). No indications of burial.
10-8-1988

BALLYHINE
OS 37:9:5 Church (site) Catholic church marked ‘site of R.C. Chapel’ on 1841 OS 6-inch map. No visible remains of structure, enclosure or burial at ground level~
12-8-1988

BALLYKELLY
OS 42:16:2 ‘RC Chapel (Disused)’ Catholic church built in 1797 and closed in 1858. Remains consist of foundations of rectangular structure (dims. 17.05m E-W; 6.96mN-S; H 1.2m) except N wall incorporated into handball alley. Rectangular granite font, originally from Kilmacree, within church. No evidence of enclosure or burial.
13-10-1988

BARMONEY
OS 31:15:4 ‘Church (Site on, Grave Yard’ Possible Catholic church marked ‘Church (in ruins)’ on 1841 OS 6-inch map. Slightly raised rectangular area (dims. 41m N-S; 20m E-W) defined by low earthen bank (Wth 4-6m; H 0.5m) at N and E and field fences at S and W. Entrance (Wth 3m) at E. Within are foundations of building with drystone walls of shale and quartz oriented E-W (int. dims. 11.35m E-W; 2.5m N-S). Second rectangular structure visible as sunken area (dims. 8.5m E-W; 5m N-S) within the enclosure. No evidence of burial. Church Well c. 30m to ESE.
29-9-1987

BELLGROVE
OS 46:7:2 Church (site) Catholic church marked ‘site of R.C. Chapel’ only on 1841 OS 6-inch map. No visible remains of structure, enclosure or burial at ground level.

BLACKHALL
OS 45:16:5 Church (site, tradition) Possible Catholic church marked ‘R.C. Chapel (in ruins)’ on 1841 OS 6-inch map. Foundation course of rectangular building (dims. 5.9m E-W; 4m N-S) believed locally to by church. No evidence of burial or enclosure. Lady’s Well c. 50m to S.
3-11-1988

BOOLNADRUM
OS 10:11:4 ‘Church (in ruins), Grave Yd.’ Possible Catholic church. Remains of rectangular building with quartz stones oriented E- W (dims. 13.3m E-W; 7m N-S), within a slightly raised quadrilateral area defined by field fences at SW and NW and slight scarp at NE and SE (dims. 30m NW-SE; 25m NE-SW). No evidence of burial.
17-6-1987

BREE
OS 31:4:2 ‘School’ Church Catholic church. Described ‘Old R.C. Chapel’ on 1841 OS 6-inch map. Rectangular building (int. dims. 19mE-W; 6m N-S), originally with four pointed windows on each long wall and entrance probably at W. Adapted as a school with central partition and two porches at S. Now used for storage.
29-9-1987

BURROW
OS 43:10:2 ‘Chapel (site of)’ Possible Catholic church, listed by Synnott in 1680. No trace of the church survived in earlier nineteenth century although local tradition believes it is incorporated into dwelling (dims. 11.2m E-W; 4.8m N-S). No evidence of enclosure or burial. St Broagh’s Well adjacent to S.
5-7-1988

CAIM
OS 19:14:3 Church (site) Catholic church described ‘site of R.C. Chapel’and depicted faintly as cross-shaped structure on 1841 OS 6-inch map. No visible remains of structure, enclosure or burial at ground level.
30-7-1987

CLERISTOWN SOUTH
OS 41:16:6 Church (site) Catholic church marked ‘R.C. Chapel (in ruins)’ on 1841 OS 6-inch map. No visible remains of structure, enclosure or burial at ground level.
13-9-1988

HOUSELAND
OS 49:16:3 Church ( site) Possible Catholic church marked ‘Site of R.C. Chapel’ on 1841 OS 6-inch map. No visible remains of structure, enclosure or burials at ground level. Site of St Helen’s Well nearby.
18-10-1988

KILCLOGGAN
OS 49:8:5 ‘Parochial Hall’ Church Catholic church, now in ruins. T-shaped plan with main entrance at S to nave (int. dims. 13m x 6.4m) with stoups built into E and W walls and gallery overhead. Subsidiary entrances to E and Warms which lack galleries (int. dim. E-W 20.4m). Sacristy attached to N. All windows and doors round-headed and built in brick. Granite crosses surmount E and W gables. No evidence of enclosure or burial.
1-12-1990

KILLEGNEY
OS 24: 12:2 Church (site) Catholic church marked ‘Site of R.C. Chapel’ on 1841 OS 6-inch map. Rectangular area (dims. 10.5m E-W; 5m N-S) partly dug into quarry face at W end with slight traces of wall foundation at N. No evidence of enclosure or burial at ground level.
26-8-1987

KILLOWEN
OS 11:3:5 Church Possible Catholic church. Foundations of rectangular building oriented WNW-ESE (L 12.2m; Wth 6m; H 1m). Walls contain quartz stones. No entrance visible. No evidence of an enclosure or burial but local tradition of a church.
24-6-1987

KILNEW
OS 27:8:2 Church (site) Possible Catholic church marked as ‘Chapel (in ruins)’ on 1841 OS 6-inch map. No visible remains of structure, enclosure or burial at ground level. Two wells, Tobermogue and Toberrevagh, both natural springs are immediately adjacent.
18-10-1987

KILSCORAN
OS 48:6:6 Church (site) Catholic church marked ‘Site of R.C. Chapel’ on 1841 OS 6-inch map. Oval area (dims. 25m N-S; 13m E-W) defined by field fence N-S and slight bank or scarp (H 0.3-1m) S-N. No evidence of structure or burial.
23-2-1988

LAKE
OS 47:10:4 ‘Church (Site of)’ Possible Catholic church marked only on 1940 OS 6-inch map. Slightly raised rectangular plat-form (dims. 9.7m E-W; 7.2m N-S; H 0.3m). No evidence of enclosure or burial. Site of St David’s Well c. 450m to N, immediately adjacent to site of castle.
5-8-1988

LONGRIDGE
OS 47:5:4 ‘Chapel & Burial Ground (site of)’ Possible Catholic church marked only on 1940 OS 6-inch map. No visible remains of structure, enclosure or burial at ground level. St Mochoaun’s Well located c. 350m to N.
8-8-1988

LOUGHNAGEER
OS 40:11:5 ‘St Catherine’s Chapel (Site of)’ Possible Catholic church. O’Donovan records tradition of church site dedicated to St Catherine. Triangular enclosure with no visible remains of structure or burial at ground level. St Catherine’s Well lies c. 450m to NE.
26-9-1988

OLDCOURT
OS 34:10:2 ‘Church (in Ruins)’ Catholic church still in use in 1837 (Lewis 1837, vol. 2,714). Marked ‘site of church’ and traced in outline on 1841 OS 6-inch map. Walls of rectangular building oriented E-W survive to H c. 0.8m (int. dims. 9.15m E-W; 4.20m N-S). No evidence of burial or enclosure. St Nicholas’ Well, a natural spring, lies c. 150m to E.
11-8-1988

PETITSTOWN
OS 47:7:3 ‘St Catherine’s Chapel (Site of)’ Catholic church listed by Synnott in 1680s and sited within a raised D-shaped area (dims. 43m E-W; 32m N-S) defined by a scarp and outer fosse which may have been a ringfort. Rectangular structure (dims. 6.2m E-W; 4.9m N-S) defined by low earthen bank and outer fosse. No evidence of burial. St Catherine’s Well c. 230m to SSE.
27-8-1988

RAMSGRANGE
OS 44:7:6 ‘Graveyard’ Catholic church, now removed without trace in a triangular graveyard. Depicted as a T-shaped chapel on in NLI, dated 1803. Two granite crosses with expanded ends, originally from the gables, are in graveyard.
1-12-1990

RATHMORE
OS 48:10:6 ‘Church (in Ruins)’ Catholic church listed in 1680 as a chapel dedicated to St George. Sub-rectangular area (dims. 29m E-W; 12m N-S) defined by straight field fence at W, curved field fence at N and low bank (Wth 1-2m; H 0.3-0.5m) at S. Within are foundations of rectangular structure (dims. 9m E-W; 4m N-S). No indication of burial.
29-6-1988

TOMHAGGARD
OS 47:15:6 ‘Mass House (Disused)’ Mass house Not listed in survey of Catholic priests in 1731 and not marked on 1841 OS 6-inch map although Lewis (1837, vol. 2, 637) mentions a chapel. Stone-walled thatched structure (dims. 7.1m x 5.5m) built against inner face of tower house probably at first-floor level and incorporating window embrasure as altar shelf. No evidence of enclosure or burial. St James’ Well and St Anne’s Well nearby.
10-8-1988

TRIMMER
OS 48:5:5 Church (site) Catholic church. Synnott, writing c. 1680 lists church dedicated to Bridget at Trimmer. Marked ‘site of RC Chapel’ on 1841 OS 6-inch map. No visible remains of structure, enclosure or burial at ground level. Site of St Bridget’s Well, where patterns were held on 2nd February lies c. 100m to NW of church site.
30-6-1988

Churches and Graveyards of County Wexford: