Grangefertagh Round Tower

Grangefertagh Round Tower is the only remnant of an early monastery founded by St Ciaran of Seir. The original site is thought to date back to the 6th Century.

The site was raided by Vikings in 861 and in 1156 the High King Murtagh McNeale burned the tower.

The tower is 31 meters in height and that is with only a small part of the towers cap remaining.
The diameter of the tower is 4.8 meters.
Their are nine windows in total, six of which are angle headed & the remaining three are lintelled.

The doorway is 3.3 meters from ground level and as you can see in image 3 has had all of it's stone work removed.
This is said to have occurred when a farmer took the stones to help in the building of a fireplace!

The church is dated 13th Century and has had it's main section turned into a handball alley.

In one small section of the church is the tomb of Brian MacGiolla Phadraigh Lord of Ossory.

Access - The tower is very visible from the M8.
Parking can be found in a couple of spots close to the site. 

   
 

Burnchurch Castle

Burnchurch Castle is a 15th Century Norman tower house that has aged very well.
Built by the Burnchurch branch of the Fitzgerald family, little of the history of the castle is known.  
The castle is six storeys high and was originally connected to a walled courtyard.
The turret like tower to the left of the castle still has part of a wall showing at the base.  

The interior has a vault under the castle with the main chamber built above it.
Access to the upper floors is via a curved staircase, which is built inside the walls.
Also within the walls are a number of passages which include a secret room on the fourth floor.

The castle was occupied until 1817 and came into state care in 1993 and is now listed as a National Monument.

Access - The site although very close to the road is located on a bad bend.
Parking can be found to one side of the entrance (on a working farm), leaving a small walk to the castle.



   

Kilree Round Tower Church and High Cross

The Round Tower of Kilree could not be in a better setting.
A short drive from the M9 brings you to this peaceful slice of early Christianity.

The round tower which is capless is 28 meters in height.
The doorway is under 2 meters from the built up level of the graveyard.
The tower has 7 windows with 4 located in the bell storey.

The high cross is located at the back of the tower and graveyard, just a short walk across a field.
The cross is made of sandstone and is 2.75 meters in height.
Although well worn you can still see how beautifully the cross was once decorated.

The history of the site is somewhat unknown with both the tower and high cross thought to date back to the 9th Century.
Of the more recent history the Dean of Ossory  transferred the lands to the nearby Priory of Kells in the 13th Century.

Access - Parking is the real problem as the road beside the site is quite narrow.

Kilree is just one of those sites that makes you want to spend some time, so quite and with a really nice atmosphere.      







 

The Three Friars

The Three Friars of County Kilkenny can be found standing high on a hill overlooking a crossroads of the same name. The area's name derives from the murder of 3 friars by Cromwell's soldiers in 1651.

The three granite stone alignment is just under 5 meters in length.
The tallest of the stones is over 1.2 meters in height.
All three stones are whitewashed not uncommon in Ireland for single or stone pair stones, but to my knowledge this is unusual for a stone alignment.   

Access  - The stones can be spotted quite easily from the main Mullinvat to New Ross road (R704). A good marker for the alignment is the wind turbine farm located close by.
Enter the field beside the holy well and a short climb brings you up to the stones.
Also in the field is a boulder burial.

Aghaviller Round Tower and Church

The tower and church of Aghaviller can be found a short drive from exit 10 of the M19.
Built from sandstone the tower is just over 9.5 meters in height.
The doorway is set 4 meters from ground level.
The tower rests on a square stone plinth which is a feature that can only be found at one other tower (the near by Kilree).
The ground level doorway is a much later addition, added for help in the installation of a bell.
Dating of the tower is unknown, but the site has close ties with St Brennain

The church is dated 12th Century but was greatly altered in the 15th Century when a
residential tower was added.
The top of the church can be accessed via a stairway.
Mass was celebrated at Aghaviller as recently as 2008.

Access - The site is located just off the R701 on a very bad bend.
The church is very visible from the road and parking can be found driving up the lane way to the site.
This is a quite and peaceful graveyard but the proximity of the dense forest to the site can make it a little unsettling at times.
Aghaviller is probably the least well known of Kilkenny's round towers but should be added to your itinerary along with the others.    

Grannagh (Granny) Castle

Located on the banks of the River Suir in south County Kilkenny stands the striking ruin of Grannagh
( Granny ) Castle.

The castle (13th Century) is said to have been built by the le Poers who had been granted the whole of Waterford and southern portion of Kilkenny after the Norman invasion in 1169.

When Eustace le Poer was executed for treason in 1375 Edward the III granted the castle to James Butler, 2nd Earl of Ormond.

The main tower house of the castle was built in the 15th Century and in keeping with many others of it's kind at that time it was both a sign of wealth and for defence purposes. 

The Castle was taken by Cromwell's forces in 1650 and was mostly destroyed after being fired on with two cannon's.

The Board of Public Works did some restoration work in 1925, today you will find the grounds in and around the castle are well kept.

Access - The castle can be seen from the N24 (just off the the M9). 
Parking is not a problem as you are taken down a slip road which leaves you right beside the castle.   










 



  

Corluddy Castle

Corluddy Castle sometimes referred to as Grants Castle sits proud on a hill overlooking the river Suir.
This ivy covered five storey ruin is said to have the mortar that built it mixed with blood.
The castle dates back to the Norman period and was in the care of the Grant family until it was taken by Cromwell in the mid 16th Century.

Corluddy has a stone stair case which is intact for the most part (I could not check this out as the base inside the castle was like a quagmire).
Without doubt the best claim I came across about Corluddy is that an underground  tunnel ran from here to the close by Grannagh Castle.

Access -  The easiest way to the castle is from the main N24.
The roads after that are quite narrow and twisty.
The field the castle is in sometimes has cattle or horses in it.
The ground is very uneven and rocky in parts so mind your footing.











                               

Kilmogue Portal Tomb

This superb tomb is also known as Leac an Scail  which means ‘stone of the warrior’.

This portal tomb has been constructed using a large capstone resting on two large portal-stones and a pillow stone resting on a back stone.

The portal stones are around 14 ft high and the capstone reaches approx 18 ft. Its lower end rests on a smaller, horizontal stone which partly covers the chamber.

This is one of the largest tombs in Ireland and this site is an absolute must see,
another name this magic tomb may also be known by is Harristown  Dolmen.