Jerpoint Abbey

Continuing on the freakish theme one more day, I've been wanting to visit Jerpoint Abbey for a few months now - ever since my last visit to Kilkenny in November. Why? To see the grave of St. Nicholas. Who wouldn't want to see that?

So Beth, RJ and I stop at Jerpoint Abbey, just outside of Thomastown, on our way from Kilkenny to New Ross on Sunday. We have a little lunch, pay our 3 Euro for admission and begin walking around. What I found were some absolutely beautiful ruins of an abbey that served as an Irish-Norman launch point for the crusades. What I didn't find, was St. Nicholas' grave. I soon learned that the supposed grave is located on private property just west of the abbey.

Legend has it that a band of Irish-Norman knights returned from the Crusades having seized St. Nicholas' remains and buried them in the Church of St. Nicholas in the town of Newton Jerpoint. The church and the town are now in ruins, but apparently the grave still remains. You can find a better account of it here.

I was not in the mood to knock on a stranger's door and ask him if I could see St. Nicholas' grave, so we packed up and headed on down to the land of the Kennedy's in New Ross. However, Jerpoint Abbey was quite a site to see. And at 3 Euro, it is a bargain for what you get. If you find yourself in Kilkenny, take the scenic drive down the R700 towards Thomastown and see the abbey. Here are a couple more pictures.