Kilcooley Abbey, Tipperary

Kilcooley Abbey, Grange and the Wellington Monument.

 

Kilcooley Abbey is an absolutely

 stunning location to visit. It’s a real Jewel hidden away in the Irish Midlands.

It’s not far from South Laois and also close to Urlingford in Kilkenny but actually lie’s just across the county border in Tipperary.

The site at Kilcooley can be reached from nearby Urlingford by following the R 689 and R 690. It’s about 6 kilometres from Urlingford. There are large Gates at the Estate entrance and signage which indicates the long paved road up to the Abbey.

The Cistercian Abbey originally dates from 1182 and was rebuilt in 1445. The Estate the Abbey lie’s on is private but the Abbey is a National Monument and as of Feb 2019 access was unobstructed and signed, a situation I imagine will continue.

 

The Abbey itself is an imposing structure with an enormous window on one side. Inside there are beautiful effigy tombs and I could see some impressive archways and a font at the front entrance to the Abbey.

There is a well preserved Columbarium beside the Abbey and a Pyramid beside the nearby Church of Ireland on the grounds. I presume the Pyramid is a family Mausoleum.

 

Many carvings line the interior walls and there are decorative ceilings inside but unfortunately because of the danger of falling block work access was impossible and the Abbey was locked up. 

 

Hopefully at some stage more funds become available to continue to carry out restoration and preservation on the site.

This beautiful Abbey is deserving of major investment. It’s staggeringly beautiful and hugely impressive.

 

Not far from Kilcooley Abbey nestled beside small rolling hills is the tiny and enchanting village of Grange which has several waymarked walks through a wooded hillside to the Wellington Monument. The Monument has had a spiral staircase and viewing platform installed. 

 

The view from the top is fantastic with mountains visible in every direction and well worth the walk through the woodlands to reach it. It's free to use and a fantastic and thoughtful addition to the area. There is a Tower House ruin in Grange and in fact there are many Tower House ruins scattered throughout this region.

Combining Kilcooley Abbey with Grange village and the Wellington Monument makes for a great day’s sightseeing.  You can clearly see the Monument perched on a hilltop in the distance from Kilcooley Abbey although it’s only a few kilometres away in reality.

 

In Urlingford itself is the Mill Cemetery and medieval Church ruin and the ruins of a Tower House and Mill opposite it. It's signposted in the town. The Cemetery and Church are worth visiting if in the area and it's very picturesque and well maintained.

 

A few more photographs from Kilcooley Abbey are posted below. There are some beautiful carvings inside the Abbey.