placenamesGusserane
Ráth na gCosarán
Gusserane’s nineteenth-century church and former school stand alongside a sporting tradition associated with Paddy Kehoe and the O’Rahilly’s club.
The name
These Irish name elements are associated with this record in the Logainm glossary.
An element’s translation is a clue, rather than a complete explanation of the name. Its form and meaning depend on local history and the full Irish name.
Recorded forms
- Ráth na gCosarán · Irish · main form · validated name
- Gusserane · English · main form
Place & story
Saint John the Baptist’s Church
Saint John the Baptist’s Catholic Church opened in 1826. Its compact rectangular body has a projecting entrance porch and a gabled bellcote containing a bell dated 1884. Narrow Gothic windows light the nave, while the chancel’s Scott-Daly memorial window dates from 1905. A vaulted ceiling and southern choir gallery remain features of the interior. The architectural inventory records restoration in 2000, following earlier changes to the sanctuary. [2]
A school becomes a community hall
The present Gusserane National School was built in 1968, replacing an older school dating from 1898 on the opposite side of the road. The former building found a new role as the community hall. The school’s own history records a further classroom opening in 2018. This sequence of replacement and reuse preserves the link between education and the village’s shared meeting places. [3]
Paddy Kehoe and the O’Rahilly’s
Paddy Kehoe, born at Drealistown in 1923, became a leading player and later president of Gusserane O’Rahilly’s. He played several sports during his army service and helped Gusserane win the junior football championship in 1944. Three successive senior titles followed, with Kehoe captaining the teams, and another senior title came in 1954. The club’s appreciation of him records a decade that established Gusserane among Wexford’s strongest football sides. [4]
Geographic information
Sources & further reading
- Logainm.ie — Gusserane. Place names and geographic record, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- Catholic Church of Saint John the Baptist, 15704001 · National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
- About us: school history · Gusserane National School
- Paddy Kehoe RIP1923–2016: club appreciation for his ninetieth birthday · Gusserane O’Rahilly’s, reproduced by Wexford GAA
Name record retrieved 2026-10-25 · Source record modified 2025-01-10. How this page was prepared.