French Church, Waterford

The French Church, also known as Greyfriars Abbey, is a significant historical site. It was built in 1241 by the Anglo-Norman Knight Sir Hugh Purcell. This former Franciscan friary is one of the earliest of its kind in Ireland, marking an important period in the country's ecclesiastical and cultural history. At the entrance, a monument honors Luke Wadding, a seventeenth-century priest from Waterford who was influential in the Catholic Church.

The church has a rich historical narrative, including hosting Richard II in 1394, who lodged there while planning his campaign against Irish clans in the Wicklow Mountains. It is notable as the site where four Irish clan chiefs—O'Conor Don, de Burgo, O'Brien, and O'Kennedy—surrendered to Richard II in 1395. This event was a significant moment in the Anglo-Irish relations of the time, illustrating the church's role not just in religious but also in political affairs.

A notable architectural feature added in the late fifteenth century is the bell tower, standing 25 meters high. The original bells were sold by Henry VIII in 1541, and it is believed they now reside in Christchurch Cathedral nearby. Despite the loss of its bells, the tower remains a prominent feature of the church, serving as a reminder of its former grandeur. The bell frame remained on the site until 1809, long after the church's primary religious functions had ceased.

The graveyard surrounding the French Church is the final resting place of several notable figures, including Sir Hugh Purcell, the church's founder, and Lord Richard Poer, Baron of Curraghmore, a staunch supporter of the Catholic faith. Also interred here is Sir Nicholas Walsh, a prominent judge in the Court of Common Pleas, and John Roberts, the distinguished architect responsible for many of Waterford's architectural treasures.