Tomb, A.D. 1678 — Kilkenny Abbey

Ivy-clad ruins of multi-period single cell chapel standing in SE quadrant of sub-rectangular shaped graveyard (WM023-025001-) with 19th century Church of Ireland church ruins standing on site of medieval parish church (WM023-025----). Holy well (WM023-024----) 245m to NE, abbey site (WM023-026----) 50m to SSE and castle (WM023-023----) 135m to WNW. Present remains consist of a small rectangular chapel (int. dims. 3.8m N-S; 5.2m E-W; wall T 0.9m) with barrel-vaulted roof (H 4.43m) which is entered through a round-arched punch dressed stone doorway (Wth 0.9m; H 1.57m) with hood moulding above of 17th century date in centre of W wall. The chapel is lit by a single light window set into a cut-stone semi-circular arched window embrasure in centre of E wall. The window head consists of a reused window cill inserted to form the head of the present window opening. A small wall cupboard or aumbry (dims. 0.52m x 0.42m; D 0.41m) is located off centre to E in N wall of chapel. The vaulted ceiling has good evidence of wicker centring and there are three punch dressed corbels at the springing level of the vault in the N and S walls. A single light ogee-headed window in the centre of the W wall above the doorway is the only other window. The lower part of this window has been blocked by the insertion of a cut stone plaque (H 0.48m x Wth 0.36m) which reads ''WITHIN . THIS . CHAPEL . LIETH . THE . BODY. OF . TOO . SECULAR . PRIEST . FATHER . CHRISTY . DILON . AND . FATHER . PETER . DILON . DIED . IN . THE . YEAR. 1678. C.Y. DIED 1680' with initials RN at bottom of plaque which may be the initials of the mason. A 19th century table top tomb lies in the NW corner of the chapel marking the grave of Eleanor Johnston alias Fitzgerald daughter of James Fitzgerald of Bleachlawn who died in 1817. According to this graveslab Eleanor was the granddaughter of Margaret Dillon of Kilkenny West and grand niece to the Reverend gentlemen who built this chapel. In 1682 Piers wrote that in the townland of Kilkenny West there are ‘yet to be seen some reliques of an abby or monastery belonging to the Knights Templars. In this place also standeth a church in good repair’ (Vallancey 1770, 81). This building was visited in 1981 when it was described as following; 'within the graveyard there is a small rectangular building. It is crudely built of rough stone and is overgrown with ivy etc. It has a barrel-vaulted stone roof. There is an arched doorway in the W wall. This is of cut stone. Above it is a badly damaged, small ogee-headed window set in the wall above the doorway there is a plaque bearing the date 1680, though the description is difficult to decipher. In the E wall is a large rectangular window set in an arched recess. There are corbels protruding from N & S walls on the inside. Inside the building is a tombstone in a recumbent position. It bears a number of commemorative inscriptions all from the early 19th century. It is difficult to decide exactly what the building is or its date. It certainly contains some medieval features, but some of it may have been altered in the early 19th century. On the outside of the structure and attached to the E wall there are foundations of a rectangular building, set at right angles to it. The structure is referred to as 'tomb' on the OS 6-inch map. It may have been a sort of mausoleum. On the wall of the graveyard there is a plaque to the father and brother of Oliver Goldsmith both of whom served as curates in the church' (SMR file). On the 1837 edition of the OS 6-inch map the mausoleum is depicted as as T-plan structure with the earlier building orientated on an E-W axis with a later structure or building running N-S at the E end of the barrel vaulted building. This map has the designation 'Tomb, A.D. 1678' to the right of this T-plan structure. The barrel vaulted building appears to be the 17th century tomb indicated on the OS 6-inch map. It is possible that this was a medieval barrel vaulted chapel that was converted into a mausoleum in the 17th century and later modified by the addition of a second building in the 18th or 19th centuries. This vaulted building may have formed part of the domestic range of buildings associated with the 'Abbey' (WM023-026----) located 45m to the S. Compiled and revised by: Caimin O'Brien Date of revised upload: 6 July 2015