One of the oldest stone structures in Dungarvan is the
old gable wall in the cemetery which has fascinated locals and visitors to
Dungarvan for centuries. In the 19th
century and before people speculated that it was the ruin of a lighthouse or a
sun worshipping temple. It is in fact the
remains of the pre-Reformation church of St Mary the Virgin records of which go
back to the 1300s. The most distinctive
feature are the circular windows which are wider on the inside and on the
outside face of the wall there are decorative sandstone surrounds which may be
of Dundry stone from the Bristol area.
The present church designed by James Pain c. 1835 is
constructed predominantly of limestone with sandstone blocks which may be
reused stone from the 18th century church on the site. On one
of the walls is a sandstone plaque inscribed: ‘J.H. & B.B. C.W. 1827’. It
commemorates John Hudson and Beresford Boate, Church Wardens. This may refer to an upgrading of the earlier
church. An extension was added to the
east end in 1903. This was executed in limestone in a more regular manner.
