Monastery — Barrowmount

On a NW-facing slope overlooking Powerstown River. Annotated as ‘Monastery’ on the 1st (1839) ed. OS 6-inch map, though the precise location is not indicated. On the 1900 revision it is indicated as, ‘Monastery (Site of)’ with a cross marking the location. According to Carrigan (1905, vol. 4, 278-80), the Abbey of Killenny, a daughter house of Jerpoint Abbey, was located, ‘in the townland of Old Abbey, now Barrowmount, parish of Paulstown, in the ancient territory of the O’Ryans of Idrone. It was founded and endowed by Dermod O’Ryan, Chief of Idrone, and was colonized by monks sent thither from Jerpoint, by its Abbot, Felix O’Dulany’. He cites the foundation charter which dates from between the years 1162 and 1166 (ibid. 280). The OS Letters (1839) mention a local tradition that, ‘previous to the building of the Abbey in Graigue the Monks chose this as their first site but owing to some spell or witchcraft that operated against them they were unable to proceed; it is said that whatever they built in the day was thrown down at night; they then changed their intentions and removed to Graigue’ (O’Flanagan 1930, vol. 2, 25-6 (9-10)). However, the author of the OS Letters was not convinced that there had been a monastery at this location and suggests that instead there was a castle which was subsequently demolished to provide building material for Brookhill House, which even by 1839 was itself in ruins (ibid.). Brookhill House (KK025-015002-) does not survive above ground level, however, large blocks of granite and some cut-stone fragments were noted, during a field inspection in 1994, in the outbuildings and surrounding walls associated with the house. These appear to have come from a medieval building, though the nature of that building could not be ascertained. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 28 February 2022