Holycross Abbey

Walsh c. lxi., p. 667-668.

Holycross in the barony of Eliogarty two miles southwest of Thurles and on the river Suire Donagh Carbragh O Brien king of Limerick founded this celebrated abbey in honor of the Holy Cross St Mary and St Benedict for monks of the Cistercian order AD 1182 Gregory was abbot in which year the founder made several grants of land to this abbey AD 1207 died in this abbey the eminent and illustrious Mathew O Heney archbishop of Cashell and apostolic legate of Ireland having received absolution and extreme unction AD 1249 in a general chapter of the order the abbot of Clairvaux in France subjected this abbey to that of Furness in Lancashire AD 1313 Thomas was abbot AD 1538 Phillip Purcell was abbot William O Dwyer was the last abbot of Holycross It was a daughter of Magio in the county of Limerick The abbot was styled earl of Holycross and sat as a baron of parliament and was usually vicar of the Cistercian order in Ireland AD 1559 the great rebel O Neal as Protestants call him made a pilgrimage to the relic of the Holy Cross which had been preserved in this abbey In the fifth of Elizabeth the abbey with two hundred and twenty acres of land in Holycross twenty acres in Thurles one hundred and eighty acres in other places parcel of its possessions were granted to Gerald earl of Ormond The architecture of this abbey was unusually splendid its very ruins which to this day occupy a considerable space evince the former greatness ness of this celebrated establishment Its steeple supported by an immense gothic arch with ogives springing diagonally from the angles has been greatly esteemed The choir is forty nine feet broad and fifty eight long with lateral aisles On the south side of the choir are two chapels intersected by a double row of gothic arches and on the north side are two other chapels finished in the same style as the former The river Suire flows near the base of those extensive and magnificent ruins