placenamesCrossabeg
Na Crosa Beaga
Crossabeg’s church brings together older parish dedications, while its burial ground commemorates a priest whose ministry linked Wexford with early colonial Australia.
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
- Na Crosa Beaga · Irish · main form · validated name
- Crossabeg · English · main form
Place & story
The church opened in 1914
Crossabeg's present church opened on 2 August 1914, following the laying of its foundation stone in August 1912. Its dedication to Saints Patrick, Brigid and Killian joined the patrons of the older Kilpatrick, Artramont and Tykillen parishes. Local craftsman J. Shipley of Blackwater executed the woodwork. Stained-glass windows depict the patrons alongside the Sacred Heart and Saint Aidan, connecting the building with the wider diocese of Ferns. [2]
James Dixon’s parish ministry
James Dixon became parish priest of Crossabeg and Ballymurn in 1819 and remained until his death in 1840. Earlier, he had been transported to Australia, arriving at Port Jackson aboard Friendship in January 1800. In 1803 he received permission to minister publicly and became prefect-apostolic of New Holland. His grave and monument in Crossabeg preserve the local association of a priest central to Australian Catholic history. [3]
The patron-day tradition
The parish history associates Crossabeg's patron observance with Saint Killian's feast on 8 July, traditionally marked by Mass and prayers in the graveyards. It records a later move to the first Sunday in July and, from 2002, to the first Saturday, explaining the change by a clash with the Leinster hurling final. This is a documented adaptation of a local religious custom rather than an account of its original foundation. [2]
Geographic information
- Place type
- Population centre
- County
- Wexford
- Barony
- Shelmaliere East
- Civil parish
- Artramon
- Within
- Crossabeg
- Coordinates
- 52.38514, -6.50173 (approximate)
- Logainm ID
- 1413880 ↗
Sources & further reading
- Logainm.ie — Crossabeg. Place names and geographic record, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- Crossabeg Church:history and patron observance · Crossabeg and Ballymurn Parish
- Dixon,James,a2636 · Aidan Breen,Dictionary of Irish Biography
Name record retrieved 2026-10-25 · Source record modified 2025-01-10. How this page was prepared.