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Emly

Historic town
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What is recorded here

Imleach Iobhair or Emly grew from its origins as an Early Christian monastery, founded by St. Ailbe who died on the 12th of September (O'Flanagan 1930, vol. 3, 38-60). According to the Annals of the Four Masters this monastic foundation was pillaged twice and burnt five times between the 11th and 12th century, as well…

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Imleach Iobhair or Emly grew from its origins as an Early Christian monastery, founded by St. Ailbe who died on the 12th of September (O'Flanagan 1930, vol. 3, 38-60). According to the Annals of the Four Masters this monastic foundation was pillaged twice and burnt five times between the 11th and 12th century, as well as earlier in 845 (ibid.). Cashel became an archbishopric and much of the territory given to Cashel was at Emly's expense, thus Emly ceased to be one of the wealthier monasteries in Munster (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 77-8, 360). In 1215 the English bishop of Emly was granted permission by King John to hold an annual fair and the bishop's weekly market was not to be disturbed (O'Dwyer and O'Dwyer 1987, 1-29). In 1303 AD a murage charter was granted to the town. In 1505-42 Bishop Thomas Hurley founded a college of secular priests at the cathedral (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 77-8, 360). By 1569 the monastery was united with the see of Cashel, a factor which further precipitated the decline of the monastic town of Emly (ibid.). In 1718 the Catholic bishopric joined with Cashel (O'Dwyer, M and L. 1987, 1-29). In 1303 a charter of murage was granted to the town of Emly and a map dating to 1599 (map of Munster held in T.C.D.) depicts Emly as a walled town with two gates. No physical evidence of this wall survives. In 1622 the Archbishop of Cashel visited Emly where he reported there were two castles, the 'great and the small', one of which had been the residence of the Bishop of Emly.

From the National Monuments Service (Archaeological Survey of Ireland) record TS065-013

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Photo credits
  • National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
  • Mike Searle, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
  • EamonnPKeane, Wikimedia Commons · CC0
  • Hywel Williams, Geograph · Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0
  • Colin Park, Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0
  • No machine-readable author provided. Christian1965~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims)., Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
  • CaitNi, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Halla Naomh AilbheChurch/chapel · 68 yd

Explorer Tom Halla Naomh Ailbhe in Emly hosted a dance that went too far, ending with two men stuck in the transept arch. It's now a village hall, but it still smells faintly of 1862 faction fighting and regret. Listen for echoes from outside and don't assume the doors are unlocked.

Saint Ailbe's Catholic ChurchChurch/chapel · 163 yd

Explorer Tom Saint Ailbe's Catholic Church has a fiddler who played there all night during the Reformation and never quite left the stained glass. The silver-grey limestone dressings catch the light in a way that makes you feel like you’re seeing things, which is exactly what they wanted. It’s spooky chic!

Duhig HouseSexton's house · 187 yd

Explorer Tom Duhig House in Emly is a sexton’s house right next to Saint Ailbe's graveyard, which means it has excellent views of the dead. It refuses to fall down because it’s too busy keeping an eye on the gate piers and their skilled craftsmanship. If you see a plaque linking it to the ancient cathedral, just nod respectfully and keep walking.

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