placenamesKilrush
Kilrush's religious buildings and the name Parnell's Cross preserve distinct strands of north Wexford's parish and political history.
The name
A reliable full-name meaning has not been established here. The recorded Irish and English forms are given without an unsupported translation.
Recorded forms
- Kilrush · English · main form
Place & story
Church and school in 1837
Samuel Lewis's account of Kilrush in 1837 describes a Catholic chapel with an adjoining priest's residence and school. The wider Catholic district included Askamore and part of Carnew lying within Wexford. Lewis also recorded two public schools educating about 150 children, supported by contributions from the rector and Grogan Morgan. These figures describe parish provision rather than the population or enrolment of Kilrush village alone. [2]
St Brigid’s at Ballynaberny
The Church of Ireland church of St Brigid at Ballynaberny was standing by 1839. Its compact nave and chancel have pointed windows, a projecting western porch and a granite bellcote above the entrance gable. The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage records substantial surviving fittings, including timber pews, a panelled choir gallery supported on timber pillars, and an octagonal pulpit with a clerk's desk. Granite window surrounds and old sash glazing contribute to its Georgian Gothic character. [3]
The naming of Parnell’s Cross
The parish history links Parnell's Cross with Gregory Murphy of Ballinaberney, an organiser and vice-president of the Bunclody Land League branch established in 1880. It attributes the crossroads name to his influence and records the later Kilrush National League organisation as the Parnell's Cross and Clohamon Branch. [4]
Geographic information
- Place type
- Population centre
- County
- Wexford
- Barony
- Scarawalsh
- Civil parish
- Kilrush
- Within
- Ballynaberney
- Within
- Knockaree
- Coordinates
- 52.63968, -6.57831 (approximate)
- Logainm ID
- 1418934 ↗
Sources & further reading
- Logainm.ie — Kilrush. Place names and geographic record, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- Kilrush, Scarawalsh, Wexford · Samuel Lewis, A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, 1837
- Saint Brigid’s Church, Kilrush, Ballynaberny, 15701001 · National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
- Local History, Churches and Cemeteries: Parnell’s Cross · Kilrush/Askamore Parish
Name record retrieved 2026-10-25 · Source record modified 2016-09-07. How this page was prepared.