Stage 1
Day 1 April 24th 2019.
We began our Camino in
the rain, heading from Mt. St. Joseph Abbey to Holy Cross Abbey in Tipperary
(approx. 45km). The ruins of the church were restored 1970-1975 and is now a working Parish church. The monk’s cellar
is now a shop selling religious goods and the Lay-Brothers dormitory above is a
meeting room and a café. We travelled lovely quiet roads from M.S.J. crossing the N7 at Cloneganna and then east of Dunkerrin through Rathnavogue and on to Killea leading onto the N62 for Borrisoleigh going left at Kilfithmone cross and then The Ragg beckoned where we had our first pit stop.
Tea, coffee toast and scones got two damp creatures ready to pedal again.
Despite the rain which fell for most of the morning, we enjoyed the wonderful scenery. Everywhere was fresh and green. Large acreage of maize was being sown under plastic. We rode where possible on bye roads with little traffic. For the most part we could ride two abreast and chat and short breaks for fuel from “Monks Munchies” ( monastic home-made energy bars) and water. We were surprised to see how many large and small properties along the route had electric security gates.
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Not Electric but probably more effective !!
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Holy cross Abbey
Founded 1168 from Monasteranenagh, which was founded from Mellifont Disestablished 1536
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| Today |
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| 1841 |
Within
the Abbey there is a discrepancy of style in the arches of the nave, pointed
arches on one side and rounded arches on the other.
Was
this the result of two competing teams of monks?
Also
remarkable are the massive buttresses along the outside, while not being
elegant, have a character of their own. Nevertheless, they give stability and
strength, reminding us of the Gospel text,
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into
practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The
rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that
house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.”
After a tour of an hour and a half we went next
door to the Abbey Pub for an excellent lunch.
We
set out for Hore Abbey near The Rock of Cashel. (approx. 16km)
We
could pass through these three ruins and not realise that they were once living
breathing communities just like the one we have set out from in Roscrea. We
have inherited their lifestyle and their faith.
Life
and conditions were different in medieval time, but individually and
collectively we have been shaped by these monasteries. Many villages and towns
lived if not in the shadow of these medieval abbeys were within a day’s
pilgrimage from them.
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The Rock of Cashel
God's early spring glitter has begun to decorate the roadside verges.
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Hore Abbey
There
is a remarkable resemblance between the architecture of these three abbeys
which is not surprising as Cistercian architecture was simple and utilitarian.
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The words of one of Paddys favorite Willie Nelson songs keeps ringing in his head!
"On the road again, I just cant wait to get on the road again"
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Originally
founded by the Benedictine order in 1266. Hore Abbey was given to the Cistercians
from Mellifont in 1272 by David McCarvill, Archbishop of nearby Cashel. The Abbey was the last pre-Reformation
Cistercian in Ireland. It was never prosperous. Perhaps because it lacked the
most vital requirement for Cistercian buildings, namely a fast flowing river.
The overall design of the monastery is a perfect example of the conservative
approach of the Cistercians.
Day 2 April 25th 2019.
The next leg of this stage of the Camino was to Kilcooly Abbey,
Gortnahoe approx. 35km
We took the old Cork road R639 to Horse and Jockey,
Littleton, stayed on the same road for another few miles and turned at sign for
Mary Willies Pub and straight to Gortnahoe.
This R639 has a wide margin within the yellow line
and is quite pleasant to cycle on. On
this road there are vast acres of horse breeding and training.
We were fortunate to meet the Retired Parish Priest
Fr. Joe O’Rourke, in Gortnahoe who went before us to show us into the Kilcooly
estate and gave us the history of both Estate (1263 acres) and Abbey.
Kilcooley House was built in the late 18th century
by the aristocratic Barker family, barons from Essex who came to Ireland and
were granted – or rather, grabbed – vast tracts of land and decided to create
“as fine and elegant a private gentleman’s seat as any in Europe”.
Their descendants, the Ponsonby family, lived
there until 2004.
The ruined 12th
century Cistercian Abbey, is now a national monument and under the care of the
OPW. Due to a collapsing wall the abbey was closed to the public.
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Fr.
Joe and Fr Aodhán at Kilcooly Abbey
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Columbarium
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As its name signifies,
it is for doves. Some of the medieval French abbeys had very large stone dovecotes on their
grounds. Pigeons and doves were an important food source in Western Europe and
were kept for their eggs, flesh, and dung. The figure in the dovecote is
probably a dove with clipped wings!! We cycled on to Kilkenny and then home by
van.
Stage 1 - Timeline
Day 1
Day 2
