Location - On the R660 in the middle of Holycross village next to a bend in the road on the west side of the River Suir.
OS: S 08974 54213
Longitude: -7.8681443
Latitude: 52.639343
Description and History – In the context of Irish monastic buildings Holycross Abbey is a significant set of structures. Not only has a large part of the monastery survived in relatively good condition, but the main body of the church, and several of the adjoining structures were restored, presenting us with a wonderful opportunity to get a much better sense of how these buildings would have looked in their prime.
The abbey was founded by Domnall Mór O’Brien in 1182 to house Cistercian monks. A charter was issued which granted the monastery with significant lands totalling approximately 8000 acres. This charter still exists and is housed in the National Library of Ireland. Charters were reissued following the Norman invasion of Ireland by King John, King Henry III, King Edward III, and King Richard II. It is possible that there was an earlier foundation here since 1169, although this has not been verified. The name Holycross derives from the relic of the true cross that was housed there. This fragment was given to Domnall’s great-grand-uncle, Muirchertach Ua Briain in 1110 by Pope Paschal II. In the early 15th century the abbey came under the patronage of the Butler family under James Butler, the 4th Earl of Ormond. He invested significant sums of money into the monastery resulting in much ornamentation being added at this time including the elaborate tracery windows, ribbed vaultings, and much sculpture inside the church. The ornate sedilia in the chancel was added at this time.
During the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 1530s the abbey was dissolved, and was held by Philip Percell of Loughmore Castle at that time. The Abbey was eventually granted back to the Butler family under the 10th Earl of Ormond, “Black” Tom Butler. Kilcooley Abbey and Athassel Priory were also granted to him at this time, and communities of monks were allowed to return, although much of the lands belonging to these abbeys were sold off. There is significant folklore surrounding Holycross, far too much to recount here, which was recorded by a Brother Malachy Harty in the mid-17th century in a manuscript entitled “The Glorious History of Holycross Abbey in Ireland.” It was also at Holycross that the last Cistercian monk in Ireland died in 1735, a local monk named Edmond Cormack. The Cistercians would return to Ireland, however, in the 19th century following Catholic emancipation. The structure began to deteriorate, and some initial works were carried out on the buildings in the early 19th century by Charles William Wall. The structure became one of Ireland’s first national monuments in 1869 and came under the care of the state until 1969 when special legislation was passed allowing the building to be restored and used once again as a place of worship. The project is one of the most significant restoration projects ever to have been undertaken in Ireland and really highlights the sheer will of the local people to see it restored. With no government funding the project was largely carried out by local craftsmen while maintaining historical authenticity. The project was finished and the church finally reopened as a place of worship in 1975.
While the initial foundation of the abbey was in the late-12th century it is a multi-phase structure with an array of works at different periods. The monastery conforms to a typical monastery layout with a large nave and chancel church, with a crossing tower with a transept on each side, each with two side chapels. The crossing tower, nave, transepts and side chapels all have elaborate 15th century rib-vaulting. The cloister had been partially rebuilt and sits on the south side of the church, with the chapter house and dormitory above on the east side of the cloister. The dormitory is connected to the south transept by a fine set of night stairs. The south range of buildings of the cloister have not survived, but were presumably the refectory, kitchens and lavatorium. The buildings on the west side of the transept appear to have been domestic buildings for lay brothers. To the east of the main abbey is a smaller range of buildings which was an infirmary and the abbot’s quarters or maybe a guesthouse. This likely had its own attached cloister at some point. While the basic layout and the church structure can be dated to the 12th and early 13th centuries, most of the finely carved stone, vaulting, windows, and bell tower all come from the 15th century phase of work. Many later medieval gravestones are now on the floor of the cloister arcade. Mason’s marks and all sorts of interesting carvings can be found throughout the structure. You really get a sense that you are seeing something historic and as it should be while walking through Holycross and it warrants repeat visits.
Difficulty – Really easy as it’s in the middle of a village with ample parking right at the entrance.
Date of visit – 26th August, 2025.
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