County Kilkenny, Ireland

Kens Priory, County Kilkenny

The rain came down from the heavens forming droplets that glistened in our hair, the wind pushed against our eyelashes causing our eyes to water. We had just run across a muddy and boggy sheep prairie to explore the Kells Priory ruins and the sky had opened, the clouds low and rolling over the green hills.

Earlier in the morning we had started an adventure exploring the farmlands of County Kilkenny. 

North eastern view of the Kilkenny prairies 

We started our trail at the border of County Kilkenny in Graiguenamanagh, the old village of ancient monks. Settled around the River Barrow, the little village was once a thriving port and its river the main highway during the mid seventeen hundreds. 

Now, with a population almost identical to that first recorded in 1821, with barely over 1500 citizens the little village hums along. We stopped in at the Duiske Abbey, founded by William Marshall, earl of Pembroke in  the year 1204 making it pretty old, one of Ireland oldest functioning churches.

Houses in Graiguenamanagh

It's also, considering its age, the largest Cistercian Monastery of it's kind. 

The abbey was oddly dark and deserted but the front door had been left unlocked so when we went in sheltering ourselves from the sub zero degree wind it was pleasantly quiet and warm. 

Inside the renovated and remodelled church still had a majority of it's original structure and foundations, remnants of its past. 

Inside Duiske Abbey

Road side view of Duiske Abbey

We had a quick look around, enough to warm ourselves up again before venturing down towards the flooded River Barrow. Really just as far as the crow flies the river moved quickly and swiftly along its frozen banks.

A clear morning in Graiguenamanagh 

Graiguenamanagh bridge

Merchant houses along the river

Colourful merchant houses lay along the tidal river edge with the old stone Graiguenamanagh bridge built in 1764 at the centre point, but golly it was cold and the wind cut through us like silver blades. 

After a coffee stop we raced back to the car, the wind catching our hair and whispering through the alleys, passing over fragments of a time when war, religion and communities flourished over centuries ago.

Rural roads, County Kilkenny

An Irish traffic jam

Next up on our tiki tour was Thomastown, historically known as Grennan. We drove into the small medieval and walled town that is settled along the River Nore, looking out for a carpark. 

Parking on the outskirts of town we walked in towards the little centre admiring the little cobbled lanes, the rock cottages and Christmas lights! 

Ducks sitting out the stormy weather, River Nore

Our plan was to visit the ruins of the Jerpoint Abbey. 

Also a ruined cistercian abbey, it was founded in the second half of the 12th century (1180 to be precise) by Donogh O'Donoghoe Mac Gilla Patraic the King of Osraige. It flourished until the Dissolution of the Monasteries by Henry VIII. As we walked through the town we weren't prepared for the cold and giving up on our walk, returned to the car with the intention to drive closer, much closer. 

Jerpoint Abbey, Thomastown

The weeping solider

Inner court-yard

Peaking through the gaps

Looking up the embattlement tower

Inner Jerpoint Abbey cloister

When we arrived, it was closed. But we weren't defeated and rather just went about exploring the perimeter, peaking in through the old stone window holes. The abbey is notable for its stone carvings which are somewhat preserved, time clearly has taken its toll but we were able to see these from the outside. We decided it would definitely be worth coming back and exploring further.

Medieval village wall tower, Thomastown

Kells Priory, County Kilkeeny

After Thomastown we had just enough daylight to visit Kells and the infamous Kells Priory located along Kings River. From afar the Priory ruins look like the remains of a fortress; alone, abandoned and lost. 

Large enough to have been a medieval town in its own right it's surrounded by moss covered stone walls, almost six meters in height but now in a state of disarray the walls are falling and crumbling down. 

St Kierans Church

Entrance into the Priory

But that made it all the more exciting. Like children we raced across the soft grass waving at the sheep that we passed keen to explore our castle. Above us large black crows circled in flocks, pushing their wings against the wind. Nothing but sheep and birds in a place where centuries ago hundreds of people lived. With nobody else silly enough to brave the wild winter weather we had the place to ourselves. It was wet, the grass brushed up against our pants and the prairie was muddy. We found the small entrance which opened up into a large grassy enclosure.

Moss covered walls

Flooded pastures

One of the seven towers

Rain having left its mark

The priory, we later read, was founded in 1193 by William FitzRobert (an English Norman and brother in law to Leader of the Norman forces in Ireland: Strongbow) and was an impressive size in its time. So much so that it was ideal for conquering and was ransacked by both English and Scottish forces during its first 150years. The priory was then expanded and built to protect and defend its inhabitants with the additions of seven massive towers which were joined together by the fortified outer defence walls. Inside the walls the monks could maintain better control of their farm animals, gardens and, most likely, their brewery! Archaeologists have reported that there would have also been an infirmary and a mill.

Kells Priory outer wall

Sheep resting in mud

Inner Abbey

Ruins of Kells Priory

Inside the Cathedral

Kells Priory ruins

As we walked through the large grassy area we could see by the foundations of the remaining walls how big the priory must have once been. That being- huge! Within a second wall are the remains of the priory church and inner sanctum. This is where we scampered, climbed and explored. We listened carefully to the silent stones hoping to hear their old stories but only the rain wet our ears.

Indoor swimming pool! Nice!

Kells Priory ruins

The sun began to set as we drove back to Kilkenny township. We sat on our hands to warm them up and quietly reflected on what life must have once been like.

Tot siens,

John and Kara