Jerpoint Abbey

On the E bank of the Little Arrigle River, which flows c. 400m to the N into the River Nore. The road from Thomastown to Ballyhale runs past the W side of the abbey. It is likely that the abbey was founded by Donal Mac Gillapatrick, King of Ossory, in 1158 for the Benedictines (Gwynn and Hadcock 1988, 136; Stalley 1987, 261-2). In 1180 it became a daughter house of the Cistercians of Baltinglass Abbey (WI027-024001-). Jerpoint, in its turn, became the mother house for the abbeys of Kilcooly, Co. Tipperary (KK043-034001-) and Killenny, Co. Kilkenny in 1184, the latter being suppressed in 1227 having incurred massive debts and was amalgamated with Graiguenamanagh Abbey, Co. Kilkenny (Gwynn and Hadcock 1988, 136, 138). In 1227 Jerpoint became affiliated to Fountains Abbey in Yorkshire (Harbison 1992, 198). In 1442, ‘an indulgence was granted for the repair of the cloister, dormitory, bell-tower, other offices and the chapel of St Moling’ (Gwynn and Hadcock 1988, 137). Following the dissolution of the monastery in 1540 the jurors, listing the property of the abbey, found that, ‘the roof of the chancel had been thrown down before the dissolution, the nave had been the parish church from time immemorial, the cloister, dormitory and adjoining buildings could be thrown down, but all other buildings were necessary for the farmer’ (ibid.). The property was granted to Thomas Butler, Earl of Ormond, in 1558 (ibid.).

The abbey plan conforms to that of a typical Cistercian monastery, with a church standing on the N side of a quadrangle, on the other three sides of which lay the cloister and the conventual buildings including the sacristy, chapter house, refectory, dormitory and kitchen. Of these the E range including the vaulted sacristy, chapter house, parlour and some of the dormitory windows survive, while the S and W ranges are more fragmentary (Stalley 1987, 247). The church has a square chancel, with two chapels in each transept and a nave with side aisles. The E end of the church may date to as early as 1160, though the original E window was replaced by the present window in the 14th century (Harbison 1992, 199). Stalley (1987, 247) attributes the capitals at the E end to the work of the ‘Baltinglass Master’. The rest of the church was built c. 1180, and although the aisles have bluntly pointed Gothic arches, the capitals are still Romanesque in character, as are the round-headed windows in the W wall (Harbison 1992, 198-9). A low wall was built up between the pillars of the aisle, and against it were placed the wooden choir-stalls (ibid. 199). A cross-wall separated the monks in the eastern part of the church from the lay-brothers (ibid.). The six-bay nave has piers of alternating square and circular form (except the final two bays) and masonry screen walls divide the nave from the aisles (Stalley 1987, 247).

In the 15th century, considerable reconstruction took place, the N wall of the nave was rebuilt, the large square tower was placed above the crossing and the S aisle was extended outwards (ibid.). The nave preserves some rare medieval heraldic frescoes. The cloister arcade, dated by Stalley (ibid.) to c. 1390-1400, was reinstated in 1953 and displays a variety of figure sculpture of saints, knights etc. There are also some very fine sculpture tombs, including an effigy of Felix O Dulany, Bishop of Ossory (1178-1202) (Hunt 1974, vol. 1, 173, vol. 2, plate 61) and a late 13th-century incised effigy of two knights (ibid. vol. 1, 173-4, vol. 2, plate 5).

(National Monument no. 80)