Grangefertagh

Grangefertagh is a former abbey located in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It is today a National Monument.

Grangefertagh
Gráinseach na Fearta
Fearta-Caerach
Round tower
Location within Ireland
Monastery information
Other namesFertagh
OrderCanons Regular of Saint Augustine
Establishedearly 6th century
Disestablished1536
DioceseOssory
People
Founder(s)Ciarán of Saigir
Architecture
Functional statusIn ruins
StyleCeltic monastic
Site
LocationGrangefertagh, Johnstown,
County Kilkenny, Ireland
Coordinates52.778459°N 7.544599°W / 52.778459; -7.544599
Public accessyes
National Monument of Ireland
Official nameGrangefertagh Round Tower and Church
Reference no.74

Location

Grangefertagh is located about 3.3 km (2.1 mi) north of Johnstown, County Kilkenny, near a crossing-point on the River Goul.[1]

History

Grangefertagh was founded in the sixth century AD by Saint Ciarán of Saigir, and known as Fearta-Cáerach ("Sheep's Tomb"). In 861 Cerball mac Dúnlainge killed a host of Vikings at Fertagh, taking forty heads. A round tower was later built. In 1156 the high king Muirchertach Mac Lochlainn burned the tower with the lector inside.[2]

The monastery was reopened by the de Blancheville family for the Canons Regular of St Augustine in the early 13th century. It was destroyed and ruinous 1421 and rebuilt 1455 by Thady Megirid/Magriyd, a canon of Inchmacnerin. The monastery was dissolved in 1540 but the church of was in use until 1780 and now forms part of a Gaelic handball alley.

Buildings

Round tower

The tower is 31 m (102 ft) tall. It has nine windows: six angle-headed and three lintelled. Four of the angle-headed windows are on the top storey facing the four cardinal directions. The tower is complete to the cornice but only part of the cap remains.

The doorway faces northeast and is 3.3 m (11 ft) above the ground.

Church

There is an Augustinian monastery church (13th century) west of the tower. A side chapel contains the Late Gothic tomb of Seaghan mac Finghin Mac Gilla Patráic, King of Osraige, who died in 1468. The tomb has effigies of Seaghan in armour and his wife Nóirín Ní Mórdha.[3] Other members of the Mac Giolla Phádraig dynasty also rest there. The chest is decorated with tracery and lierne vaulting in relief.[4][5]

gollark: Yes, praise ferris?
gollark: Also, you need an arc where people campaign to erase C and advocate for Rust constantly.
gollark: There also need to be vague threatening references to antimemes, memetic hazards, apiocryoforms, and other stuff.
gollark: Yes, the orbital lasers can just sit there ominously with "PotatOS Orbital Laser Network" written on them.
gollark: AND orbital lasers. They could look very cool and also blind everyone nearby.

References
  1. Wallace, Martin (1 April 2009). "Celtic Resource Book". Church House Publishing – via Google Books.
  2. Rees, Elizabeth (1 May 2013). "Celtic Saints of Ireland". History Press – via Google Books.
  3. CHI. "Grangefertagh Abbey, near Johnstown, Co. Kilkenny".
  4. "Grangefertagh Round Tower & Church".
  5. "Travelmania Ireland - Fertagh / Grangefertagh Round Tower and Church Ruins, County Kilkenny".
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