Seskinan No. 1 / Secsen / Seskinane
INFORMATION
Font ID: 25871SES
Object Type: Baptismal Font1, base only?
Font Date: n.d.
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: disused / fragment of a font
Font Notes:
Click to view
Fragment of a stone baptismal font (the lower base) indexed in the Archaeological Survey of Ireland as Seskinan (WA013-034001-). The fragment is a roughly square slab with a large round hole in the centre, believed to the lower end of the drainage system of the font; a large circular depression in the centre and four snaller ones at the corners suggest that the upper base of the font consisted of a broad central shaft and four corner colonnettes; such is a common base of many medieval fonts of the type that would have a square 'table-top' basin; only the lower base fragment remains. [cf. BSI entry for Seskinan No. 1 for a wal-mounted holy-water stoup in this church.
A 3-D model made by Archaeological Survey of Ireland may be seen in Sketchfab [https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/seskinan-church-wa013-034001-font-base-f1b929c421fb46d49e8f4080d9d72d21] [accessed 26 July 2025]; its caption reads: "Base of medieval baptismal font located inside the centre of the medieval parish church ruins of Seskinan (WA013-034001-), in the townland of Knockboy (An Cnoc Buí/The Yellow Hill), Diocese of Lismore, Co. Waterford [...] The stone basin and supporting column of the font are now missing. The water drained out of the basin down through a hole in a column which sat into the central hole of the base. The presence of semi-circular shaped recesses on the four corners may have supported four smaller engaged columns of the font."
A 3-D model made by Archaeological Survey of Ireland may be seen in Sketchfab [https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/seskinan-church-wa013-034001-font-base-f1b929c421fb46d49e8f4080d9d72d21] [accessed 26 July 2025]; its caption reads: "Base of medieval baptismal font located inside the centre of the medieval parish church ruins of Seskinan (WA013-034001-), in the townland of Knockboy (An Cnoc Buí/The Yellow Hill), Diocese of Lismore, Co. Waterford [...] The stone basin and supporting column of the font are now missing. The water drained out of the basin down through a hole in a column which sat into the central hole of the base. The presence of semi-circular shaped recesses on the four corners may have supported four smaller engaged columns of the font."
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