Priory of SS. Peter and Paul of Selskar by Wexford

St. Selskar’s church, dedicated to SS Peter and Paul, was founded by the Roches as a priory for the Augustinian Canons Regular, and it was certainly in existence by 1240. It is argued that that it is an early pre-Norse foundation (Colfer 1990-1, 6-13) and this is supported by the curved pattern created by the streets and town wall in the vicinity. The abbey was suppressed in 1541, but by then it had long been the parish church of St Selskar's parish – the name may be a corruption of 'Sepulchre' (Hore 1900-11, vol. 5, 72), or derived from the Norse ‘skar’ meaning a rock (Colfer 1990-1, 13). The church was fortified with a tower in the later middle ages, and according to a Visitation by Thomas Ram, the Protestant bishop of Ferns, in 1615 David Browne was the curate. While the chancel was in repair the church was not (Hore 1900-11, vol. 6, 266). In 1818 a Church of Ireland church was built E of the medieval structure in a neo-gothic style (Lewis 1839, vol. 2, 710), but this is now roofless.

The church is located on a slight rise within a small triangular graveyard (dims c. 70m E-W; c. 45m N-S) defined by masonry walls at N and SE and the town wall on the SW side. The wall of a medieval building (WX037-032049-) is incorporated in part of the SE graveyard wall. The medieval church has a double nave (int. L at least 30m; total int. Wth 11.6m.), probably of 13th century date, with an arcade of four pointed arches separating the two aisles. The W windows are largely destroyed although they were in the decorated style and have glazing grooves. The S wall, now largely removed, contained four windows with square hood mouldings (Grose 1791, vol. 2, pI. 114, and ff. 76).

The fortified tower is at the E end of the S nave (ext. dims. 8.37m E-W; 7.52m N-S) and has quoins of dressed and chamfered Dundry stone. It is entered through a modern doorway from the 19th century church and a lintelled doorway with a chamfer at the SW angle leads to the newel stairs that rises to the parapet. A lintelled doorway leads from the stairway to the first floor under an E-W vault with traces of wicker-centering but the corbels to support the floor have been removed. A rebuilt doorway leads to the second floor over the vault that has window embrasures with seats in the S and W walls and rebates on each wall for the ceiling. A rebuilt doorway leads to the third floor that has a window embrasure with seats in each wall. The dressed stonework is granite, the S window being round-headed while the N window has a fragment of a cusped ogee-head. There are corbels to support the ceiling in each wall, except the N. At the parapet the stepped crenellation is probably re-built, but there are gables rising over the inner edge of the wall-walk (H above ground 15.1m) at N and S. The newel stairs continues to an enclosed look-out chamber over the stairs housing. The tower has no fireplaces or garderobes, and did not function as a belfry.

A 13th century graveslab, a 17th century armorial crest, a 17th century memorial and a sarcophagus (Bradley 1988, 90) are in the church. (Cullen 1895, 369 72; Hore 1900-11, vol. 4, 72 5; Harbison 1975, 250; Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 197 8)

This is a National Monument in state guardianship: No. 445.