What is recorded here

One acre of forgotten ground in County Laois, marked only by a vanished stone wall and fosse, holds the absence of an abbey that once stood inside its border. The earth keeps the shape of what it swallowed. People may have prayed, buried or forgotten within that small circle before the wall itself disappeared. What is missing becomes the point. The abbey did not leave behind stones; it left behind a hole in the story, waiting for someone to stop and imagine what filled it.

Reference to an enclosure of c. one acre in area and defined by a stone wall and fosse which enclosed the Abbey (Carrigan 1905, vol. 2, 345). No visible surface remains. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Laois' (Dublin Stationery Office, 1995) compiled by P. David Sweetman, Olive Alcock and Bernie Moran. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 17 December 2007

The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.