Church, Ballynerrin, Co. Wicklow

Co. Wicklow |

Churches & Chapels

Church, Ballynerrin, Co. Wicklow

Along a field boundary in the gently rolling terrain of County Wicklow, a small medieval church survives in a state that is neither ruin nor restoration.

The walls on its southern and eastern sides still reach their original height of around 2.4 metres, built from uncoursed mortared rubble, meaning the stones were laid without the regular horizontal rows seen in more formal masonry. A nave and chancel layout, the standard arrangement for a parish church of the medieval period, gives it internal dimensions of roughly 11 metres by 5.3 metres: modest but not tiny. What is quietly compelling about the place is less its scale than its incompleteness, a building that has lost its roof and its finer details but kept enough of its shell to give a clear sense of enclosure.

The church follows a familiar plan, with the main entrance apparently at the western end and windows set into the eastern and southern walls, though none of the window details, surrounds, tracery, or mouldings, have survived to be read. A wall niche at the eastern end of the southern wall would likely have served a liturgical function, perhaps housing a statue or a small vessel for holy water. The most tantalising detail comes from a 1973 reference by a researcher named Reynolds, who noted the presence of a decorated stone somewhere within the church. That stone has not been located since, leaving open the question of whether it was moved, buried, or simply overlooked. Decorated stonework in a rural medieval church can range from simple geometric carving to figural work, and its absence from the current record gives the site an unresolved quality that the standing walls alone do not.

Rated 0 out of 5

Visitor Notes

Review type for post source and places source type not found
Added by
Picture of Pete F
Pete F
IrishHistory.com is passionate about helping people discover and connect with the rich stories of their local communities.
Please use the form below to submit any photos you may have of Church, Ballynerrin, Co. Wicklow. We're happy to take any suggested edits you may have too. Please be advised it will take us some time to get to these submissions. Thank you.
Name
Email
Message
Upload images/documents
Maximum file size: 100 MB
If you'd like to add an image or a PDF please do it here.

Advertisement