Unofficial guide. Not the National Monuments Service, the OPW, Fáilte Ireland or the landowner. Disclaimer
At a glance
- TypeReligious house - Cistercian monks
- Date or period mentioned1148
- StatusNational Monument
What to look for
- Cloister
- Tower
- Chancel
- Carved stonework
Picked out from the Archaeological Survey description below.
Visiting
- National Monument in State care, listed by the National Monuments Service as a monument to visit.NMS Monuments to Visit · official page
- May be on private land and not open to the publicNational Monuments Service advice
- Wear suitable footwear and clothingNational Monuments Service advice
- Uneven ground: not suitable for everyone, especially wheelchair usersNational Monuments Service advice
Opening times and fees change: check with the operator before you go.
About Baltinglass Abbey
- 1148The abbey was founded in 1148 by the king of Leinster, Diarmait MacMurrough, as a…
- early 19th centuryThe tower within the building was constructed in the early 19th century.
Where it is
- Baltinglass Abbey stands on the banks of the River Slaney on the outskirts of the small town of Baltinglass.
Its history
- The abbey was founded in 1148 by the king of Leinster, Diarmait MacMurrough, as a daughter house of the Cistercian Abbey at Mellifont, Co. Louth.
- The chancel and the transept at the east end were probably constructed in the early 1150s, whereas the aisled nave with the wonderful piers and arches was probably constructed in the 1160s.
- The tower within the building was constructed in the early 19th century.
What you'll see
- What survives at Baltinglass is essentially the church of the abbey.
- The various domestic buildings and the cloister that once formed part of the complex have disappeared.
- There are many interesting decorative carvings, and the sculptors who carved them appear to have been also responsible for the carvings at another Cistercian abbey at Jerpoint, Co. Kilkenny.
Text: National Monuments Service, Monuments to Visit (CC BY 4.0). Sentences grouped by topic by ErinSites; the wording is unchanged.
History and description
Full archaeological record 136 words
National Monument in state ownership No. 203. Situated at the N end of Baltinglass Town, 100m E of the River Slaney. Only the church survives of the Cistercian abbey founded in 1148. The church has a long nave, with an imposing nave arcade, a choir and a presbytery (with a three-light window) (overall L c. 56m), with two later transepts. The W door has a two-centred granite arch doorway, probably fifteenth century in date, and a three-light window above. The E end of the church has several Romanesque carved capitals, and there is a sedilia in the presbytery. A crossing-tower was built in the later Middle Ages, and subsequently rebuilt in 1815 in the Neo-Gothic style. The 'abbots castle' (WI027-024002-) was demolished in 1882 to provide materials for the building of the rectory. (Stalley 1987, 242)
Archaeological Survey of Ireland, National Monuments Service (CC BY 4.0) · Updated 17 December 2008 · Based on the Archaeological Inventory of County Wicklow. It describes the site as it was when surveyed.
More abbeys & friaries nearby
Saint John's Tower
Religious house - Fratres Cruciferi · Skenagun · Kildare · 9.2 km away
National MonumentCastledermot Friary
Religious house - Franciscan friars · Abbeyland (Castledermot Ed) · Kildare · 9.4 km away
Great Connell Priory
Religious house - Augustinian canons · Greatconnell · Kildare · 26 km away
The Black Abbey
Religious house - Knights Hospitallers · Tully East · Kildare · 26 km away
Grey Abbey
Religious house - Franciscan friars · Kildare · Kildare · 27 km away
National MonumentSt Saviour's Priory
Religious house - Augustinian canons · Derrybawn · Wicklow · 28 km away
Visitors' notes
Badges are opinions of visitors - not verified facts. One vote per badge and visitor; no account needed.
Best time to visit
What's missing on this page?
Share a tip to find it
Share a local tradition or story
Suggest a correction
Suggest the right map location
Report a duplicate page
Ask a question
Do not include personal data. See our privacy notice.
Around Baltinglass Abbey
Other heritage nearby
- HughstownHillfort · 2.7 km
- St. Bridget's WellHoly well · 5.2 km
- St. Bridget's WellHoly well · 5.7 km
- TobermurryHoly well · 6.5 km
- St Patrick's WellHoly well · 6.6 km
- Brusselstown RingHillfort · 6.6 km
Recorded within 5 km
- 23 ringfortsArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 6 hillfortsArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 6 holy wellsArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 3 castlesArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 3 megalithic tombsArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 2 monastic sitesArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 2 ancient churchesArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 1 standing stoneArchaeological Survey of Ireland
Walks and trails
- Fauna LoopWalking Trail · 6.3 km · nearest point 8.8 km
- Fauna Short LoopWalking Trail · 4.8 km · nearest point 9.0 km
- Mullaghreelan Wood - O'Tuathaill walkWalking Trail · 2.0 km · nearest point 11 km
Outdoors, towns and places to stay
- Mullaghreelan WoodForests · 11 km
- TimolinWalled towns · 8.1 km
- CastledermotWalled towns · 9.3 km
- Martinstown HouseHistoric stays · 20 km
Other attractions nearby
- Tir na GlassWalking · 0.4 km
- Tearmann Community GardenGardens · 0.7 km
- Moone High CrossHistoric Houses and Castle · 8.7 km
- Castledermot Round Tower & High Cross & St. David's GraveyardAbbeys and Monastery · 9.2 km
What's on nearby
- Derek Ryan - Songwriter Show2026-11-08 · 19 km
- Learn the Art of Letterpress2026-11-14 · 14 km
- Autumn / Winter Cinemas at VISUAL2026-12-22 · 19 km