Jerpoint Abbey
| Jerpoint Cistercian Abbey | |
|---|---|
 East side of the abbey |
|
| location |
 Ireland County Kilkenny |
| Coordinates: | 52 ° 30 '35.1 " N , 7 ° 9' 43.4" W |
| Serial number according to Janauschek |
460 |
| founding year | 1180 |
| Year of dissolution / annulment |
1540 |
| Mother monastery | Baltinglass Abbey |
| Primary Abbey | Clairvaux Monastery |
|
Daughter monasteries |
Kilcooly Abbey (1184) |
Jerpoint Abbey ( Irish Mainistir Sheireapúin ) is a former Cistercian monastery which is 1.5 km southwest of Thomastown in County Kilkenny in Ireland and is one of the most important facilities of its kind in Ireland.
history
The monastery was built no later than 1180 by Donal Mac Gillapatrick, King of Ossory and the Cistercians, probably on the remains of a Benedictine monastery started in 1158 , as a daughter monastery of Baltinglass Abbey . After a revolt of the Irish Cistercian monasteries in 1217 ( riot of Jerpoint ), which was followed by the Mellifont conspiracy , the abbot was deposed and the monastery was placed under the monastery of Fountains in Yorkshire. About 50 years later, independence was restored. The tower was built in the 15th century. At that time there was patronage from the Kilkenny Butler family . The monastery was closed in 1540, as only one abbot and five monks lived here. Until the end of the 17th century, the abbey belonged to the Butler family. Jerpoint Abbey has been a national monument since 1880.
The abbey
The abbey consists of a cruciform nave, a chancel and the transepts. The tower was added in the 15th century. The cloister is to the south. There were other buildings, cemeteries and gardens around the abbey. The church, the chapter house , the kitchen with dining room (refectory) and the storage and sleeping rooms are still present. In addition, several tombstones from the 13th to 16th centuries have been preserved. Among them is that of Felix O'Dullany († 1202), the first abbot of Jerpoint and Bishop of Ossory.
The main nave and the chancel
The main nave used to consist of two rooms, the dividing wall can still be seen today. The southern wall no longer stands. The windows in the nave are upstairs. Today the pillars of the north archway are still standing.
The chancel is the oldest part of the church. The east window from the 14th century is still preserved. Remains of wall paintings can be seen on the north side.
The transepts
In the north transept there are graves from the 15th century. In the southern part of the northern transept there is a plate with a group of saints called the weepers. The slab was made by the stonecutters O'Tunney in the 15th century. In the southern transept, in the southern chapel, there is a grave slab depicting brothers (The Brethren) dressed in chain mail. Along with Cantwell Fada in nearby Kilfane, this is one of the most important representations of its kind.
The tower and cloister
The tower was built in the 15th century. Since a Cistercian monastery does not have a stone tower because of the rule, it is now assumed that in the 15th century it was no longer so serious about abstinence.
Carvings in the cloister were restored in 1953.
literature
- Jerpoint Abbey. Information for visitors, publisher OPW, The Office of Public Works
