Once part of Portlaw parish,
Newcastle church and cemetery are now seldom heard of.
Their unique 'secret' location may well be the reason!
As already stated, the location of the long-defunct Newcastle
church, and cemetery, must surely be quite unique. On the road from Kilmeaden to Carrolls’Cross
(Waterford to Cork road), turn left immediately before Haughtons’ pub. A short
distance further on, having come to a Y junction, keep left again, and a very short
distance still further on one will see the entrance gate on right, with name plaque on gate
pillar.
From inside the gate, a very-well-kept grassy passage leads uphill,
making one wonder what is over the top!
On one's right, before reaching the summit,
one is pleasantly surprised at seeing this nice grotto to
Our Lady of Lourdes,
with this natural outcrop of local stone.
The stone, sandstone surely, is beautifully coloured.
A pleasant surprise, on the right side, going uphill, was this very healthy cluster of
Cornflowers (Centaurea Cyanus) ?
Once over the top of the incline, the well-maintained entrance to the cemetery
comes as a surprise.
This work may well be performed by volunteers from the Ballyduff end of the
combined parishes of Ballyduff & Portlaw,
or is is Portlaw & Ballyduff!
This stile on the left side of the entrance gate caught my eye, but there was a second,
which I discovered later.
The centre stone in this photo caught my eye.
The two stiles on the inside wall.
The east gable-end of the church,
where slightly to the right of the sycamore tree, can be seen a close-up of the object in the next image
Beside it, lies a table tomb, burial place of a one-time local Parish Priest.
Canon Patrick Power, in his
'A Compendius History of the United Diocese of Waterford & Lismore',
published in 1937,
states
"There is, however, an eight-sided baptismal font, which is of interest,
if only for its octagonal character;
in medieval symbolism, eight was the number of regeneration."
The eastern gable end.
Obviously the location of a window, now filled with stone.
Oddly this
small window was at the eastern end, where one would expect the altar to be.
A very large cross, made with the shrub - 'Box'.
One of the most legible headstones found;
tilted forward slightly, which possibly prevented weathering.
Possibly one of the oldest headstones to be seen.
No text anywhere on this crucifix.
I've seen somewhat similar crucifixes/crosses elsewhere in other, not-too-distant cemeteries,
with embossed wording, which denoted they were made in Carrick-on-Suir.
Part of one of the window opes.
Part of doorway arch.
Final image in the series.
Further text to follow.
