One of the oldest medieval structures in Co Wexford is on the verge of collapse and requires emergency works to protect it into the future. The cemetery walls in Ferns were first built over a thousand years ago and still contain some of the medieval masonry used in their original construction.
And while the walls have been altered and repaired by generations of builders over the centuries, their current condition has become a source of genuine concern for those living locally.
At a recent meeting of the Enniscorthy Municipal District (EMD) Councillor Barbara Anne Murphy raised those concerns on the community’s behalf.
“This is of great concern to those in Ferns, 500 people have signed a petition to have the wall fixed,” she said. “We know it’s a historic structure, but where is the money going to come from to pay for it? We can’t expect it to come out of our roads budget.”
In response, district engineer Neil Dempsey said the council’s heritage officer had engaged with a conservation engineer in relation to the wall at Ferns and funding had been acquired to carry out the works.
Welcoming this news, Cllr Murphy asked that the community in Ferns be updated on the status of the works as they didn’t seem to be aware of “what’s happening in the background”.
“We met them approximately six weeks ago, but we will update them on this,” replied Mr Dempsey.
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.