Seskinan No. 2 / Secsen / Seskinane

INFORMATION

Font ID: 09241SES
Object Type: Stoup
Font Century and Period/Style: 14th century (?), Medieval
Church / Chapel Name: Old Church [in ruins since 1840]
Font Location in Church: Reported in 1841 as being on the southwest doorway, to the right of the entrance, the S wall
Church Patron Saint(s): St. Sescnen
Church Notes: church of Seskinan is built on the site of an earlier church; it is known for its Ogham inscriptions: "Macalister recorded the inscription still visible on this stone as “Q[E]CC[IAS] M[U]C[OI B]R[O]E[NIONAS]” (Macalister, R.A.S. – 1945, 287)"; “–]ER[A]T[I] M[U]C[OI] NETA-S[EGAM]ONAS” (Macalister, R.A.S. – 1945, 286).; “–]RG[..]B[A]RCEN” (Macalister, R.A.S. – 1945, 286); “CORB” (Macalister, R.A.S. – 1945, 287); “VORTIGURN” (Macalister, R.A.S. – 1945, 287-288); “–]CIR MAQI MUC[–” (Macalister, R.A.S. – 1945, 287-288);“VEDABAR M[A]Q[–]LSM MOCOI ODR[–]REA” (Macalister, R.A.S. – 1945, 286);“[MAQI] MONGEDIAS MAQI MUIBITI” (Macalister, R.A.S. – 1945, 289)
Church Address: Knockboy, Co. Waterford, Ireland
Site Location: Waterford / Port Láirge, Munster, Republic of Ireland, Europe
Directions to Site: Located off the L1041, near Glenahiry, in the townland of Knockboy, about 10 km NNW of Dungarvan
Ecclesiastic Region: Diocese of Lismore
Historical Region: Sliabh gCua / Barony of Decies-without-Drum
Additional Comments: abandoned stoup
Font Notes:
The index to the "Letters containing information relative to the antiquities of the County of Waterford, collected during the progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1841" lists under no. 98 for the Parish of Seskimane, Co. Waterford, the following entry: "Holy Water Font in do. [ditto?, i.e., referring to the one of four old churches in the local townlands of the Sliabh gCua area]". The letter itself, signed by a J. O'Donovan is dated "June 19th 1841" and describes -inter alia.- the old Church of St. Sescnen, "situated in the Townland of Knockboy, eight Irish miles north west of the Town of Dungarvan and three miles south and by east of the Halfway House." In the description of the south wall a mention is made of a doorway near the west gable and of "a holy water font near it on the south or right side as you enter." [source:www.waterfordcountylibrary.ie/library/categories/onlineresources/article80/ordnancesurveyletters.doc] The stoup is illustrated in The Irish Place [https://www.theirishplace.com/heritage/castles-and-historic-buildings/the-ogham-stones-in-seskinane-church/] [accessed 26 July 2025]: wall-mounted just inside the south wall. [cf. BSI entry for Seskinan No. 1 for the fragment of a baptismal font also from this church]

COORDINATES

UTM: 29U 589885 5783511
Latitude & Longitude (Decimal): 52.194718, -7.684947
Latitude & Longitude (DMS): 52° 11′ 40.99″ N, 7° 41′ 5.81″ W

MEDIUM AND MEASUREMENTS

Material: stone