St. Paul's Church is a small Church of Ireland church located in the seaside village of Ardmore, County Waterford in Ireland. Built between 1835 and 1840 (and dated 1838 by the incision on the tower),[2] it is situated on a hill overlooking the town, but not as far up the hill as Ardmore's notable St. Declan's Monastery ruins.
| St. Paul's Church | |
|---|---|
 St. Paul's Church and the adjoining graveyard | |
 | |
| 51°57′00″N 7°43′30″W / 51.95007°N 7.72511°W | |
| Location | Ardmore |
| Country | Ireland |
| Denomination | Church of Ireland |
| History | |
| Founded | 1838 |
| Dedication | Paul the Apostle |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | active |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | limestone, rubble stone |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Youghal Union of Parishes[1] |
The church is built on a cross plan,[2] with a three-storey tower facing the front and adorned with four pinnacles. The church's octagonal font is said to reach back to the 16th century, and came from Declan's cathedral. In the church, there is also a silver chalice dated 1726,[3] restored to the church by the antiquarian Robert Day after it had disappeared from the church.[4] The church was consecrated on September 15, 1841.[5]
The church is registered under reg. no. 22827005 by the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.
Restoration campaign
editIn 1988, the 150th anniversary of the church, a campaign was organized to raise funds for repairs, as there was an urgent need to replace roof slates, woodwork, and to renovate the outside.[6] The campaign, which had a target of £28,000, was a cross-denominational effort, as there were only three Church of Ireland families living in the town at that time.[3] One of these families was that of Molly Keane who, in 1996,[7] was buried in the church's adjoining graveyard.[3]
The fundraising received support from the RTÉ personality Donncha Ó Dúlaing who, sponsored by Waterford dairy cooperative,[8] walked from Cork's St Anne's Church to the Ardmore church[9][10] where he was welcomed by a large crowd of people.[11] The cause was also supported by flower clubs from around the country which organized a flower festival on the church's grounds to coincide with Donncha's arrival.[3]
References
edit- ^ "Youghal Union of Parishes". Youghal Union of Parishes. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
- ^ a b "Saint Paul's Church (Ardmore), Tower Hill, Rocky Road, DYSERT, Ardmore, WATERFORD". National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
- ^ a b c d "Christians unite to save Ardmore church". Munster Express. August 12, 1988.
- ^ "Ardmore Memory and Story - The Village". Waterford County Museum. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
- ^ "You'll Kick Yourself Stupid If You Miss Your Chance To Experience The Delightful And Fascinating Saint Paul's Church". Ardmore Waterford. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
- ^ Fox, Maureen (July 1, 1988). "Having courage to fight cancer". Cork Examiner.
- ^ "Molly Keane is laid to rest in simple seaside ceremony". Irish Examiner. April 26, 1996.
- ^ "Donncha's walk for Ardmore church". Munster Express. No. July 22, 1988.
- ^ Hurley, Marie (July 22, 1988). "Doncha heads for Ardmore". Evening Echo.
- ^ "Walking for charity". Irish Examiner. July 30, 1988.
- ^ Wyley, Rory (July 29, 1988). "Photograph caption". Waterford News and Star.