Some believe this is the oldest parish in Ireland, and can point to evidence in the form of the rare megalithic tomb dating from 2000 BC through to local St. Colman who baptised St. Declan of neighbouring Ardmore and who went on to convert the Deise before the arrival of St. Patrick. Ominously, others point to evidence suggesting a far more recent origin to the name - that the survivors of the Great Famine of 1845-1851 came to refer to the Ballymacart townland and surrounding areas as 'the Old Parish'. The consequences of the repeated failure of the potato crop and resultant food shortages were greatly worsened by the responses of Lord John Russell and his Whig government of 1846-1852. Throughout the country, over 1 million died while a further 2 million emigrated. Amongst the worst affected was the Old Parish area, and the parish never recovered in the intervening period. Hardly surprising then that some of the most prominent republican leaders in the Waterford area from the 1916 Rising up to the conclusion of the War of Independence hailed from this small community. Fittingly, the cache is placed by the gable remains of one of the bothans which remain as an acknowledgment to our ancestors. There are 2 parking points given. You can approach from the top, and walk along a lonely woodland path on the verge of the glen, or from the lower car-park which is also the parking point for the Traigh Bhaile Mhac Airt cache. If taking this second route, you need to cross over a small stream flowing from the glen onto the beach, and wellies will be necessary during rainy spells.