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Cistercian Monasteries in Cashel and Emly

The Cistercian Monasteries in the Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly were Holycross, Kilcooly, Abington and Hore. Remnants of all but Abington exist, Holycross Abbey being in use as the parish church.


Holycross
Chronology
Architecture
Kilcooly
Chronology
Architecture
Hore
Chronology
Architecture
Abington
Chronology
Architecture

Other Sites of Cistercian Interest

Manister Abbey
Magium - Motherhouse of Holycross
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There are no Cistercian houses in the Archdiocese at present, Mount Saint Joseph Abbey in County Offaly and Mount Melleray in County Waterford are the closest current houses. There were strong connections between the Archdiocese and the Order in the past - four successive Archbishops of Cashel between 1182 and 1237 were Cistercians. Archbishop Donnchadh Ó Lonnargáin took ill while on a journey to Rome and became a Cistercian monk at Citeaux before returning home. Pope Honorius III indicated the suitability of the two offices in a letter to the people of Cashel (3 August 1220), stating that the Archbishop had now "the habit of a monk and the dignity of a pontiff." David MacCearbhaill, having been Archbishop for fifteen years, became a Cistercian in 1269, and continued his administration of the diocese for a further twenty years.

The following table lists the Cistercian Foundations in the Archdiocese, giving their Latin names, dates of foundation, mother house and the modern parish.


Holycross Sancta Crux The Holy Cross 1180 Monasteranenagh Holycross and Ballycahill
Kilcooly Arvus Campus The Arable Plain 1184 Jerpoint Gortnahoe and Glengoole
Abington Woneyum 1205 Furness Murroe and Boher
Hore de Rupe/ Rupes Caseliæ of the Rock (of Cashel) 1272 Mellifont Cashel and Rosegreen
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The political instability of the fourteenth century impacted on the monasteries. Poor harvests and plague took their toll and little building was undertaken. A resurgence of building followed, adding to or replacing the original structures.

Areas of the archdiocese which were under the control of the Earl of Ormond enjoyed security and prosperity during the fifteenth century. Holycross, Kilcooly and Hore monasteries thus benefitted. James, the fourth Earl of Ormond (1405-1452) was a powerful figure of his day. As well as being lord-lieutenant and justiciar, he travelled widely, taking part in Henry V's French wars. His patronage of Holycross enhanced its status considerably. This Abbey was distinguished among Irish Cistercian houses in that it was a place of pilgrimage, having a Relic of the True Cross.

Holy Cross Abbey

There were monks in Uachtar-Lamhan (the ancient Celtic name for Holy Cross) before the Cistercians came from Monasteranenagh, (Croom) County Limerick.

Chronology

1180 Dónal Mór Ua'Briain endowed the abbey 'in honour of the Almighty God, of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Benedict and the Holy Cross'
1400 - 50 Extensive reconstruction of the church and abbey
1563 Abbey and possessions granted to Thomas Butler, Earl of Ormond, by Queen Elizabeth I. Some monks remained and pilgrimages continued
1583 Dermot O'Hurley, Archbishop of Cashel and martyr for the faith, visited the abbey as a pilgrim
1600 January, O'Neill of Ulster visited the abbey. November, Hugh O'Donnell was at the abbey
1640 Brother John (Malachy Harty) compiled chronicle of the abbey ('Triumphalia Chronologica' or Triumphant History of Holy Cross)
1740 Last Cistercian monk of Holy Cross died
1880 Abbey church vested in the State as a National Monument
1969 Act of Oireachtas passed enabling the Abbey church to be restored and used as a parish church
1970 Archaeological excavation of church site
1971 Restoration of church commenced

In 1621, Luke Archer, Abbot of Holy Cross, was acknowledged as having the right to appoint to priests to parish of Holy Cross. This right appears to have persisted until 1704 with appointments being made by the Archbishop from 1752. Archer appointed the Cistercian John O'Dea as Parish Priest of Holy Cross about 1623. O'Dea, formerly a secular priest, later became Abbot of Corcomroe (Burren) about 1628.

Architecture

The carving of the local blue-grey limestone retains much of its original detail. The sedilia is of particular interest and the shrine (reliquary) provides a unique feature to the interior stone-work. The great variety of carved windows may be ascribed to the lack of coordination and to the erratic progress of the building projects.

Kilcooly Abbey

Kilcooly Fluted Doorway leading from the cloister

Kilcooly Abbey
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Unusually for a Cistercian foundation, Kilcooly lies on a plain (thus its title, Arvus Campus - the arable plain) rather than by a river.

Chronology

1184 Founded under the patronage of Dónal Mór Ua'Briain, King of Thomond by monks from Jerpoint
1418 Burnt
1445 Burnt by armed men
1540 Dissolved and property transferred to James Butler, Earl of Ormond
1640 Brief Cistercian reoccupation?
1840 Sir William Barker built a summer-house in the ruin which was later used as a residence

Vaulting in Kilcooley

Architecture

Many connections can be made between Kilcooly and Holycross. Some of the local masons employed in its reconstruction in the 1500s had also worked on Holycross during the fifteenth- and sixteenth-century revival of Cistercian architecture.

The photograph above shows the only ssurviving medieval dove-cote standing near the Abbey. The detached infirmary building can also bee seen near the cloister.

Some of the carvings on the sarcophagi are from the Rory O'Tunney workshops.

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Hore Abbey

A Yew Tree - Iubhair - in the Kilcooly Cloister

'Hore' is thought to derive from 'iubhair' - yew tree. The former Benedictine abbey at Hore was given to the Cistercians by Archbishop David MacCearbhaill, who later entered the monastery. He endowed the Abbey generously with land, mills and other benefices previously belonging to the town. The story, beloved of tour-guides, that he evicted the Benedictines after a dream that they were about to kill him, is unlikely to be true and probably arises from the Archbishop's 'interference' with the commerce of the city of Cashel. His disfavour of the established orders in Cashel certainly caused local resentment. He was resented by some of the towns-people, being considered too much in favour of the Irish by the more Anglicised. This is evident in the objection by the thirty-eight local brewers to the levy of two flagons out of every brewing and in the murder of two monks who were visiting the town.

Chronology

1269 Archbishop David MacCearbhaill made profession of the Cistercian rule though remaining as Archbishop of Cashel
1270- Founded from Mellifont. The last Cistercian foundation in Ireland before the dissolution of the monasteries
1540 Dissolved and property transferred to James Butler, Earl of Ormond

Monks continues to serve the local parish

Occupied as private dwellings
1561 Lands granted by Elizabeth I to Sir Henry Radcliffe

Vaulting in Hore

Piscina, Hore Abbey

Architecture

Hore Abbey is distinctive among Irish Cistercian monasteries in that the cloister lies to the north. The siting of the Abbey, with the Rock of Cashel close by to the north, may explain this departure from the usual arrangement.

Abington

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Known variously as Mainistir Uaithne, Abbey Owney, Woney and Owney. This monastery was on the banks of the Mulcair River. One of the major Anglo-Norman houses of its time, nothing remains.

Chronology

1205 Founded from Furness (Lancashire) by monks who had been briefly in Wyresdale (Lancashire) and Arklow. Under the patronage of Theobald Walter, brother of the Archbishop of Canterbury
1206 Theobald Walter buried at the Abbey
1540 Abbot John O'Mulryan briefly frustrated avoided the dissolution of the Abbey by having it established as secular college of which he was provost.
1548 Attacked and burnt by the O'Carrolls
1647 Buildings burnt in Cromwellian wars
1700 Buildings destroyed
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Architecture

Thomas Dinley's illustration of 1681 shows the 'Early English' architecture of the Abbey. Nothing remains of the buildings.

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