Position

Killiskey Parish Church is a typical ‘first fruits’ church with square tower standing in its own grounds in Nun’s Cross adjacent to the Nun’s Cross National School to the West of  Ashford Village. It has its own graveyard to the rear which is still in use.

Parking

There is limited parking in the grounds of the Church. Additional parking is available on road side towards the school.

Approaching from the South

Leave the N11 turning left at roundabout onto the R772 towards Ashford. Continue 2km to Ashford village roundabout.  Turn left (1st exit) onto the R764 towards Glendalough. In 500mts at a sharp right bend, bear left onto the R763 to Glendalough (small Nun’s Cross Church sign). In 1km to right turn 100mtrs before the Vartry River bridge (small Nun’s Cross Church sign) onto minor road. Church can be seen through its grounds which have the entrance immediately on right.

Approaching from North

Leave N11 onto the R772 towards Ashford. Continue 2km to Ashford village roundabout. Take right (2nd) exit onto the R764 towards Glendalough. In 500mts at a sharp right bend, bear left onto the R763 to Glendalough (small Nun’s Cross Church sign). In 1km to right turn 100mtrs before the Vartry River bridge (small Nun’s Cross Church sign) onto minor road. Church can be seen through its grounds which have the entrance immediately on right.

 

Killiskey Parish Church Information

Brief History

The first mention of Killiskey was in the Bull of Alexander III in 1179. Killiskey was in 1267 an independent parish .and was erected into a Prebend by the then Archbishop of Dublin, Fulk de Sandford, who conferred it on the Archdeacon of Glendalough, Hugh de Chaddesden. In 1615 Killiskey and Glenealy formed part of the Union of Wicklow.

In 1714 the Parish of Killiskey was separated from that of Wicklow, but apparently no steps were taken to appoint a Vicar or Rector until June 29^th, 1813, when a petition from the Vestry of Wicklow Parish, signed by the Rev. Porter, Curate Assistant of Wicklow, and John Synge and Ambrose Eccles, asked for leave to remove the church from the building at Killiskey to the present site because the church has“ for a considerable time past been suffered to go to decay and is now in ruins” and “whereas the new Church could not be built on the site of the old without interfering with the graves.” [Part of petition to Archbishop of Dublin June 29^th 1813.]

The church was consecrated under the title of the Church of Nun’s Cross in 1817. The inscription over the door reads: “Nun’s Cross Church, built for the Parish of Killiskey. Francis Synge, Esqr. Ao Dom 1817.” Killiskey was made a separate incumbency in 1855 by act of Privy Council. In 1874 it was extended by additions from the parish of Wicklow. In 1957 Killiskey was grouped with Wicklow with the then incumbent Rev. F.Tamplin being instituted also to Wicklow.

Genealogical enquiries should be made to the Church of Ireland Archives, where all parish records prior to 2000 are stored.

 

Interesting features

The words over the entrance door: ‘’Almighty God, Let Thy Holy Spirit so cleanse and direct our hearts that on entering Thy House we may lay aside all worldly cares, all sinful desires all unworthy thoughts, and give ourselves wholly and in humble faith to Thy Worship, through Jesus Christ, Our Lord, Amen.”

The Chancel was added in 1882. The arcading round the chancel was erected on 25th May 1904.  It was the gift of Col. Tottenham as a thanksgiving for the safe return of his son from the South African War. The alabaster came from Derbyshire, the bath stone from Somerset and the marble from Co. Cork. It took from 23rd to 28th to erect the marble. The wall behind it was in bad repair.The figures of the heads of the Kings and Queens in the church ceiling are said to have been made by a skilled craftsman, Narcy, who lived in a house opposite Inchinappa Gate. Another tradition is that they were originally made for the Chapel Royal at Dublin Castle and not being required were used for Nun’s Cross.

The Pulpit The design of the present pulpit illustrates the first sermon preached at Nazareth by Our Lord, to be found in St. Luke Ch. 4, v. 18. The figures [anti-clockwise from the pulpit steps] represent the quotes:

1. The spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor.

He hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted.

To preach deliverance to the captives.

And recovering of sight to the blind

To set at liberty them that are bruised

To proclaim the acceptable y ear of the Lord

The carving was done by the firm of De Wispelaere of Bruges.

The Organ was supplied by Messrs Telford of Dublin and dedicated in 1930. An organ had earlier replaced a harmonium in 1888.

The Reading Desk The figure facing west, the quarter of Sin and Darkness, which it is renouncing, symbolises Penitence, the armour refers to the passage in the Epistle to the Ephesians 6, and suggests the withstanding of the Evil One. The hand bracing up the girdle suggests determination, as part of penitence.  The night garment referring to the old life of indifference and slothfulness is under the feet of the figure, cast off and thrown away.  The dove perching on the shoulder is emblematic of the divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit, moving the heart to desire a life more in accord with the Divine Will. The figure facing East,  is emblematic of Praise. Under the foot is the Serpent crushed, and the figure in the joy of victory is bursting into song; the harp suggests accord with God and harmony with the Divine Being. The carving was done by the firm of De Wispelaere of Bruges.

Pews The pew occupied by the Tottenham family [south transept] was built out of oak grown in Ballycurry, the family estate. The large pew at the south-west end of the church was occupied by members of the Synge family, that on the north-west side was occupied by the Tighe family.

The North Transept Window was originally in the East Window and was cut down to fit its present position.-It is a copy of a window in Augsburg Cathedral

South Chancel One shows Christ stilling the tempest, the other represents Christ’s Entry into Jerusalem on a donkey. The artist was Miss R. O’Brien of the Túr Gloinne, firm of Glass Workers, Dublin.

The East Window was erected to the memory of Major Crofton of the East Surrey Regiment in 1903, and in the top opening of all is the regimental badge of that regiment. In the right hand bottom corner is Major Crofton’s coat-of-arms In the upper tracery are 9 circular openings in which are depicted angels holding scrolls in which are inscribed the words of the Easter hymn  The strife is o’er, the battle done, The window is designed to represent the scenes that follow Our Lord’s Resurrection

 The window in the South Transept depicts scenes from Our Lord’s life

The window in the South Nave  depicts the Good Shepherd, Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, and Christ Blessing the children.

SELECT VESTRY FOR KILLISKEY PARISH

 

 

The Rector’s Church Warden:        Sharon Cox

The People’s Church Warden:       Suzanne Sinclaire

The Rector’s Glebe Warden:          Brian Walsh

The People’s Glebe Warden:          David Bailey

 

Vestry members: Richard Henderson, Anne Newton, Amanda Mooney, Geoffrey Tottenham, Patricia Butler, Vera Webster, Andrew Graham, John Lankester, Paddy Moss, Michael Norman, Ivan Sheane, Stephanie McDonald.

 

Hon. Treasurer:                                       Amanda Mooney: .

Hon.Secretary:                                        Anne Newton  

 

 The following were elected for a three year period in 2005:

Synod Members:        Jerry O’Connor & Paddy Moss

Supplementalists:      Stephanie Mc Donald & Vera Webster

Parish Nominator:    Geoffrey Tottenham 

 Supplementalists:      Ivan Sheane

 

Richard Henderson  is the co-ordinator of the Killiskey Parish Church Restoration Project.

Click on image to view Stained Glass Window Appeal page