Unofficial guide. Not the National Monuments Service, the OPW, Fáilte Ireland or the landowner. Disclaimer
At a glance
- TypeChurch
- Date or period mentioned13th-century
- Recorded size 19m E-W; 6m N-S; wall T 1.67m
What to look for
- Nave and chancel
- East window
- Graveyard
Picked out from the Archaeological Survey description below.
Can you visit?
- No source says it is open to the public.Most monuments in Ireland stand on private farmland.
- Ask the landowner before crossing fields, close gates, leave the stones as you find them.Visiting responsibly
History and description
On a broad terrace on the SE side of the Nuenna river valley, the river flowing c. 120m to the NW, surrounded by pasture. There are good views SW-NE along valley and NW across valley.
Full archaeological record 266 words
On a broad terrace on the SE side of the Nuenna river valley, the river flowing c. 120m to the NW, surrounded by pasture. There are good views SW-NE along valley and NW across valley. The church is orientated NE-SW and centrally placed within a graveyard (KK013-032002-). According to Carrigan (1905, vol. 2, 370) the church belonged to the Canons Regular of St. Augustine, St. John's Abbey, Kilkenny.
A church (dims. 19m E-W; 6m N-S; wall T 1.67m) of roughly coursed rubble. A central gable, presumably containing the chancel arch, is described in the OS Letters (1839) as being, 'down to the level of the side walls' and at a distance of 'thirty eight and a half feet [c. 11.7m] from the western gable' (O'Flanagan ed. 1930, vol. 1, 170 (55-6)). There is a broken-out doorway (Wth 1.5m) in the S wall, 3.5m from the SW angle externally and there was possibly another doorway in the opposite wall where the wall has been rebuilt. There are two broken out windows towards the E end of the church, in the N and S wall respectively, both broken out. The end gables stand to more or less their full height though the E window is also broken out. Carrigan (ibid.) noted a 13th-century graveslab (KK013-032003-) in the chancel which was subsequently broken up. The OS Letters (1839) mention, 'an old grave of one of the Shortalls' in the graveyard (ibid.). However, according to Carrigan (ibid.), 'there are many monuments here to members of the Shortall family, but none of them older than the middle of the 18th century'.
Archaeological Survey of Ireland, National Monuments Service (CC BY 4.0) · Compiled by Jean Farrelly · Updated 30 July 2019. It describes the site as it was when surveyed.
Folklore and traditions
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Around Tubbrid Upper Church
Other heritage nearby
- Tubbrid CastleCastle · 0.2 km
- ToberpatrickHoly well · 0.2 km
- Our Lady's WellHoly well · 0.9 km
- Clomantagh CastleCastle · 1.4 km
- Killoshulan CastleCastle · 2.7 km
- Kilrush CastleCastle · 3.2 km
Recorded within 5 km
- 56 ringfortsArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 14 castlesArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 12 ancient churchesArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 4 holy wellsArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 1 ogham stoneArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 1 hillfortArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 1 megalithic tombArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 1 monastic siteArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 1 standing stoneArchaeological Survey of Ireland
Walks and trails
- North Kilkenny Cycle RouteRoad Cycling Trail · 80.5 km · nearest point 0.6 km
- Freshford LoopWalking Trail · 5.7 km · nearest point 4.4 km
- Gathabawn LoopWalking Trail · 11.3 km · nearest point 6.0 km
Outdoors, towns and places to stay
- JenkinstownForests · 13 km
- CapponellanForests · 14 km
- Ballykeefe Nature ReserveNature reserves · 13 km
- Coolacurragh Wood Nature ReserveNature reserves · 17 km
- Clomanatagh CastleHistoric stays · 1.4 km
Other attractions nearby
- Kilcooley AbbeyAbbeys and Monastery · 7.8 km
- River NoreNature and Wildlife · 9.2 km
- Famine Warhouse 1848Historic Houses and Castle · 11 km
- Coille an Fhaltaigh Millennium ForestNature and Wildlife · 11 km
What's on nearby
- Pa Sheehy The Magic We Found Tour2026-11-05 · 16 km
- Kilkenomics2026-11-06 · 17 km
- Kilkenomics2026-11-07 · 17 km
Excavations nearby
- E2387 Islands AR 45, County KilkennyRoad-scheme excavation report (TII) · 7.3 km
- E2389 Islands AR 47, County KilkennyRoad-scheme excavation report (TII) · 7.3 km


