Fenor

Fenor Fionnúir
Village
Fenor Church
Fenor Location in Ireland
Coordinates: 52°09′42″N 7°13′34″W / 52.161596°N 7.226124°WCoordinates: 52°09′42″N 7°13′34″W / 52.161596°N 7.226124°W
Country	Ireland
Province	Munster
County	County Waterford
Time zone	WET (UTC+0)
• Summer (DST)	IST (WEST) (UTC-1)

Fenor, officially Fennor (Irish: Fionnúir),^[1] is a village in County Waterford, Ireland on the Copper Coast between Dungarvan and Tramore. The village itself is quite small consisting almost entirely of the local school, pub, and parish church and is located on the R675.

History

Medieval Times

Fenor Parish, which in medieval times was known as the Parish of Islandkeane of the Barony of Middlethird. Traces of Iron Age habitation can be found on the promontory forts of Garrarus, Islandkeane, Kilfarassy and Woodstown. The Deise were converted to Christianity by St. Declan from their worship of the sun god. St. Declan was himself the son of a Deise Chieftain and this conversion pre-dated the coming of St. Patrick by about thirty years.

Norman Times

After 1169, the Normans made their presence felt when the lands of the O'Faolain chieftains of the Deise were taken by the De Paors. The old parish church of Islandkeane was built by the Knights Templar. After their suppression their property was taken over by the Knights Hospitaller. They retained ownership of church house and its lands until King Henry VIII of England's Dissolution of the Monasteries.

Cromwell

Oliver Cromwell's attack on Dunhill Castle ended the four hundred years of Power ownership.

Parish Church

The first church in Fenor Village was built in the early 19th Century, possibly before 1826, on lands donated by Lord de la Poer of Gurteen, Kilsheelin. This church, called the Church of Our Lady of the Nativity, was smaller than the present church and seated approximately 250 persons. The architect Walter G. Doolin designed the present church, completed in 1894.^[2]

Fenor National School

The first school in Fenor Village was a fine slated building built in 1826 on marginal land at the edge of Fenor Bog. Lord de la Poer of Gurteen also donated this land to the Parish. The school was fully paid for by local funds. There were 200 pupils on roll, 126 boys and 74 girls. In 1832 the Department of Education set up the National School System which would give free education to all children. This school continued to be used until 1946 when the present school was renovated and extended in 1986.

Sports

Fenor GAA has a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Fenor GAA pitch. The Sport of road bowling is also played here by Fenor road bowling club,^[3] one of many throughout ireland covered by the national governing body,Bol Chumann Na hEireann. The Road Bowling club meets on a Sunday morning at the Church Carpark at 11.15am and Durning the summer will also meet at 6.45pm on Wednesday nights

Fenor Bog

Fenor Bog which was formerly a raised bog where turf was cut. Owned by the Irish Peatland Conservation Council^[4] it was designated as Waterford's first National Nature Reserve in 2004.

References

1. Placenames Database of Ireland: Fennor/Fionnúir
2. "The Church of the Immaculate Conception, Fenor". Parish of Dunhill & Fenor. Retrieved 22 December 2014.
3. "Facebook Page". Fenor Road Bowling Social Club. Retrieved 22 December 2014.
4. "Fenor Bog, Waterford, Visitor Map & Guide". Irish Peatland Conservation Council. Retrieved 22 December 2014.