The late medieval parish church at Ballinaclough is believed to date to the 15th century though it seems the area surrounding the church was of substantial importance right back to the time of the Anglo-Norman arrival in Ireland. The church is also known as Weyperous which derives from the name ‘gué pierreux’ or ‘stony ford’ given by the Norman settlers in the 13th century. A church is first recorded in the ecclesiastical taxation documents of the Diocese of Killaloe in 1306 where it is referred to as ‘Church de Vado petroso’ or ‘Church of the Stony Ford’. A church existed at this site right up to the Suppression of the Monasteries in 1541 when a 21 year lease of the lands at Ballinaclough (recorded as Ballaghnymcloghir in Ordmond) to a John Sherlock from Waterford. The Down Survey of the 1650s records that it was then in the ownership of Rory Kennedy and Donogh Kenedy. In 1802 a Board of First Fruits Protestant church was built adjacent to the North West of the medieval structure. The remains at Ballinaclough are extensive, with the nave and chancel measuring around 25 metres in length. The entranceway is in the south wall and is an attractive pointed arch, a wide arch divides the nave and chancel. The east window is round headed with two lights though the central mullion is missing. This east wall has some striking memorials to the Walsh family and the graveyard is home to several interesting headstones and grave markings of which they are a mixture of Catholic and Protestant. The Protestant burials section closer to the 19th century structure and the Catholic section nearer the medieval church. On the day of my visit I did not spot the Sheila-na-Gig that is situated on southwest corner wall of the building but do hope to visit again soon to record this.
GPS: 52.82563, -8.16013