Ecclesiastical history Ardmore is associated with a 5th-century saint,
Declán of Ardmore, who is reputed to have founded a monastery in the area. Declan, regarded as a patron saint of the
Déisi of East Munster, is one of several
Munster saints said to have preceded
Saint Patrick in bringing
Christianity to
Ireland. A new church, replacing an older oratory, was built at
St. Declan's Monastery in the 9th century. At the
Synod of Rathbreasail in
1111, recognition was given to the Diocese of Ardmore. A bishop of Ardmore swore fealty to
Henry II of England at
Cashel, as a suffragan of
its archbishop, in 1171. The last reference to an independent bishop of Ardmore dates to 1210, when
Innocent III listed it as one of Cashel's eleven suffragan dioceses. No longer a residential bishopric,
Árd Mór is today listed by the
Catholic Church as a
titular see. The parish, now called that of 'Ardmore and Grange', is in the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Waterford and Lismore. St. Paul's, an old
Church of Ireland church in the village, is part of the parish of
Youghal.
Ecclesiastical ruins On a hill above the village is a well-preserved 30-m-high, 12th-century
round tower and the ruins of a cathedral dating from the 12th and 13th centuries with an adjacent 8th-century oratory. One of the outer walls of the cathedral features some stone carvings retrieved from an earlier 9th-century building. The carvings include a very early image of a harp, images of
Adam and Eve in the garden and a representation of "Solomon's judgement". The cathedral also contains two
Ogham stones, which rest in small alcoves. Some elements of the original structure can still be seen within the building. The present
Church of Ireland church is close to this complex.
Maritime history Within the last few decades, Ardmore has lost its status as a
fishing village as fishing laws became more restrictive. Harbour development remains unfunded and larger fishing vessels are unable to utilise the present docking facilities due to a lack of water depth. However, a small number of fishermen maintain some of the old fishing practices as they continue to fish from Ardmore. The
Samson, a crane ship, was wrecked on Ram Head, near the village, during a December storm in 1987 as it was being towed from
Liverpool to
Malta. Its wreck is now a diving spot. There are many other older wrecks in the bay area including the
Marechal de Noailles,
Bandon,
Peri,
Scotland,
Sextusa and
Peg Tranton, and later wrecks including
Anne Sophie and
Fee des Ondes. The remaining keel of the latter wreck may still be seen at
low tide on the main beach. ==Features==