Holy Cross Abbey
Mainistir na Croise Naofa
A restored Cistercian abbey on the River Suir, housing a relic of the True Cross, and one of Ireland's pilgrimage sites.
Holy Cross Abbey was founded in 1180. It became an important medieval pilgrimage destination because it housed fragments said to come from the cross on which Jesus was crucified. The abbey fell into ruin after the Reformation and was fully restored in the 1970s. It is now a fully functioning parish church, where you can see fine 15th-century stone carvings, the abbey cloister and an old bridge by the river. Admission is free. It is about 15 km from the Rock of Cashel and can be visited on the way there.
Opening hours
Open daytime daily
Nearby sights
- Rock of Cashel
- Cahir Castle
- Kells Priory
- Black Abbey
- St Canice's Cathedral & Round Tower
- Rothe House & Garden
- Smithwick's Experience Kilkenny
- Kyteler's Inn