placenamesNun's Cross
Crois na Mná Rialta
Local benefactors helped establish the church and school that became enduring landmarks at Nun’s Cross.
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
- Crois na Mná Rialta · Irish · main form
- Nun's Cross · English · main form
Place & story
A church consecrated in 1817
Nun’s Cross Church replaced the decaying church at Killiskey. Charles Tottenham supplied half an acre for its site, while Francis Synge contributed towards construction alongside a Board of First Fruits loan. Archbishop Charles Brodrick consecrated it on 28 October 1817. A bicentenary service on the same date in 2017 brought descendants of the founding benefactors back to the church. [2]
The Crofton School
Marcia Anastasia Crofton’s bequest supported a parish school, and a stone building opened at Nun’s Cross in 1877 on land donated by Charles George Tottenham. A red-brick extension followed in 1881, and it became known as the Crofton School. After the old premises became inadequate, a community campaign led by Canon Stanley Pettigrew secured a replacement school, opened at Easter 1992. [3]
Geographic information
Sources & further reading
- Logainm.ie — Nun's Cross. Place names and geographic record, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- 200 Years of Worship and Witness at Nun’s Cross Church Celebrated · United Dioceses of Dublin and Glendalough, 31 October 2017
- History · Nun’s Cross National School
Name record retrieved 2026-10-25 · Source record modified 2019-01-11. How this page was prepared.