Situated just outside the village of Ballysteen in County Limerick stands Beagh Church. This church is sometimes referred to as Iverus Church, which is noted as the name of the parish. The origins of the name Iverus differs depending on the sources, in 1840 TJ Westropp stated, “The parish of Iverus. The name of this parish is not of ecclesiastical origin but borrowed from that of an ancient Irish tribe located in this parish”, this tribe was known as the Uíbh Rosa. However 3 years earlier in 1837 Samuel Lewis wrote, “Its name is derived from Iverus, a Danish commander who sailed up the Shannon, in 824, with a powerful fleet, and after obtaining possession of Limerick founded a church here, on the spot where he had encamped at his debarkation”. There could be an element of truth in both Lewis’ and Westropp’s assertions. The date of construction of the church is uncertain but it would appear to be late medieval, it was no longer in use by the earlier part of the 19th century and is in surprisingly good condition considering it has been roofless for almost 200 years, though renovation work was carried out in the 1980s. The most charming feature of the church is the window in the east wall which has a double ogee arch. There are visible burials dating from the early 1700s through to the present day.

GPS: 52.64731, -8.94638