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Phil and Molly's Irish Scene HOMEPAGE76. Kells Priory, County Kilkenny

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NOTES on The History Of Kells Priory

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sculpture by the car park

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The main entrance gate to Kells Priory

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There is also an old church above Kells Priory

Kells Priory in County Kilkenny is one of the largest and most impressive medieval monastic sites in Ireland. What makes it especially distinctive is that it looks as much like a fortress as a monastery, with high defensive walls and towers earning it the local nickname " The Seven Castles of Kells."

Foundation and Early History

The priory was founded around 1193 by the Anglo-Norman lord Geoffrey FitzRobert, brother-in-law of the famous Norman leader Strongbow. It was established for the Augustinian Canons Regular and succeeded an earlier church dedicated to St Mary. The site stands beside the King's River, about 15 km south of Kilkenny city.

The foundation of Kells Priory reflected the growing influence of the Normans in Leinster following their conquest of Ireland. The monastery quickly became an important religious and landowning institution.

A Turbulent Medieval Past

Life at Kells was far from peaceful. During its first century and a half, the priory suffered several attacks and burnings:

  • In 1252, it was attacked by William de Bermingham.
  • In 1316, the forces of Edward Bruce, brother of Robert the Bruce of Scotland, attacked during their Irish campaign.
  • It was attacked again in 1327 by another William de Bermingham.

These repeated assaults illustrate the instability of medieval Ireland and help explain why the monks later fortified the monastery so heavily.

The Witchcraft Connection

Kells Priory has an indirect connection with one of Ireland's most famous medieval witchcraft cases. In 1324, the Bishop of Ossory, Richard de Ledrede, was involved in investigations against Alice Kyteler, one of the best-known figures accused of witchcraft in medieval Ireland. Political disputes involving local lord Arnold de Poer of Kells led to the bishop's temporary imprisonment before the case continued.

The Fortress Monastery

During the 15th century, strong defensive walls and towers were added around the monastery precinct. The resulting complex enclosed more than three acres and contained a remarkable series of tower houses built into the walls. These fortifications protected not only the monks but also tenants, livestock and goods during periods of raiding and unrest.

The surviving remains include:

  • A substantial priory church
  • Cloister ranges
  • The Prior's Tower
  • Defensive walls and gatehouses
  • The large outer enclosure known as the Burgess Court

Archaeological work has revealed that the church was once richly decorated with painted glass, wall paintings and floor tiles, indicating considerable wealth.

Wealth and Dissolution

By the 16th century, Kells Priory had become a major ecclesiastical estate. At the time of its suppression under Henry VIII's Dissolution of the Monasteries, it controlled extensive lands in County Kilkenny and received income from numerous churches and chapels. The priory was formally dissolved in 1540, and its property passed to James Butler, 9th Earl of Ormonde.

Kells Priory Today

Today the ruins are exceptionally well preserved and are cared for as a National Monument. The massive walls and towers still dominate the landscape and give visitors a vivid impression of a medieval fortified religious community. The site was also used as a filming location for Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon.

For anyone interested in medieval Ireland, Kells Priory is remarkable because it combines Norman history, monastic life, military architecture, archaeology and ecclesiastical power in a single site. Unlike many Irish monasteries, its defensive appearance makes it feel more like a small walled town than a religious house.

As you've recently been exploring Waterford's mining and geological heritage, Kells Priory also fits nicely into the broader story of medieval south-east Ireland, where Norman settlement, trade routes, monastic wealth and local conflicts shaped much of the landscape that we see today.

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