We were blessed to return for a third time to Bansha, Co. Tipperary, to pray at the grave of the mighty Canon Hayes and to visit Athassel Abbey, one of the largest ecclesiastical sites in the Country. The sun always seems to shine in Bansha! The welcome is always warm too.
Buildings of Ireland has a fine description of the architecture of the Church of the Annunciation.
Fittingly for the Church of the Annunciation, the Mass was held in the shadow - and offered for the intention - of the Referendum on the Protection of Unborn Life.
Nearby Golden was the birthplace of the outstanding Fr. Matthew, OFMCap, the Apostle of Temperance. There must be something powerful in the water thereabouts. Golden is dotted with medieval ruins and is well worth a visit by itself. However, our target was between Golden and Bansha, the great Abbey or Priory of Athassel.
IrelandinRuins gives a snapshot of a visit there. The abbey was built for the Augustinians by William Fitz-Aldhelm de Burgho in the 12th century. Dedicated to St. Edmund, it was one of Ireland’s most extensive monasteries, covering about 4 acres of land along the banks of the River Suir.
