Killone Abbey () is a former nunnery located on the grounds of Newhall Estate in

County Clare County Clare () is a Counties of Ireland, county in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster in the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern part of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, bordered on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. Clare County Council ...

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

. The abbey was founded in 1190 by Donal Mór O'Brien, King of Thomond and Munster (pre-16th century Clare was called

Thomond Thomond ( Classical Irish: ; Modern Irish: ), also known as the Kingdom of Limerick, was a kingdom of Gaelic Ireland, associated geographically with present-day County Clare and County Limerick, as well as parts of County Tipperary around Nena ...

), who placed there a sisterhood of the order of Saint Augustin. It was a prominent house of

Canonesses Regular A canoness is a member of a religious community of women, historically a stable community dedicated to the celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours in a particular church. The name corresponds to a canon, the male equivalent, and both roles share a ...

and one of the major female monastic institutions in

Gaelic Ireland Gaelic Ireland () was the Gaelic political and social order, and associated culture, that existed in Ireland from the late Prehistory of Ireland, prehistoric era until the 17th century. It comprised the whole island before Anglo-Norman invasi ...

. It became closely associated with the

O'Brien dynasty The O'Brien dynasty (; ; genitive ''Uí Bhriain'' ) was an Irish Clan and noble house of Munster, founded in the 10th century by Brian Boru of the Dál gCais (Dalcassians). After becoming King of Munster, through conquest he established hims ...

, one of the leading Gaelic noble families in medieval Ireland, and many of its

abbesses Abbesses (, literally ''Abbesses'') is a station on Paris Métro Line 12, in the Montmartre district and the 18th arrondissement. Abbesses is the deepest station in the Paris Métro, at 36 metres (118 feet) below ground, and is located on ...

were drawn from their ranks. Among them was Slaney O'Brien (d. 1260), the daughter of Carbreagh, King of Thomond, who renounced her royal status and worldly possessions to take up the role of abbess. In an era marked by political unrest and violence, the abbey provided the happiest, as well as safest asylum for female virtue.

She was described in the
Irish annals A number of Irish annals, of which the earliest was the Chronicle of Ireland, were compiled up to and shortly after the end of the 17th century. Annals were originally a means by which monks determined the yearly chronology of feast days. Over ti ...
as ''"the most pious, most charitable, and most generous woman in all Munster" ''

The last

abbess An abbess (Latin: ''abbatissa'') is the female superior of a community of nuns in an abbey. Description In the Catholic Church (both the Latin Church and Eastern Catholic), Eastern Orthodox, Coptic, Lutheran and Anglican abbeys, the mod ...

, Lady Honora O'Brien, daughter of Murrough O'Brien, the 1st Earl of Thomond, played a significant role in the abbey's later history. Following the suppression of monastic houses in 1540, Lady Honora married

Sir Roger O'Shaughnessy Sir Roger O'Shaughnessy, The O'Shaughnessy (died 11 July 1690), was Chief of the Name and a captain in the Irish army of James II of England. He was present at the Battle of the Boyne, and died ("sick, though not wounded") ten days after the battl ...

and became heiress to Newhall and Killone. Their marriage, which required papal dispensation, occurred after the birth of their three eldest children. By 1617, the abbey was recorded as being in ruins. Today, its remains are located on land used for grazing cattle within the grounds of Newhall House and Estate. The ruins include substantial portions of the abbey church and a crypt. A narrow stone stairway, situated between the altar and the east window, leads to a ledge atop the south wall of the church, offering views of the surrounding grounds. The site is widely regarded for its serene atmosphere, spiritual significance, and natural beauty, making it a cherished landmark in the local area.

Saint John's Holy Well

Also located on the grounds of Newhall Estate is Holy Well of

Saint John the Baptist John the Baptist ( – ) was a Jewish preacher active in the area of the Jordan River in the early first century AD. He is also known as Saint John the Forerunner in Eastern Orthodoxy and Oriental Orthodoxy, John the Immerser in some Baptist ...

, known as ''Tobar Eoin'' in Irish, which has long been a site of religious significance. The well’s origins date back to pre-Christian times when it is believed to have been a pagan site of offerings to Jun of Babylon with summer festivals. The well is believed to have healing properties and has served as a place of pilgrimage for centuries. It features remnants of historical stone structures and a natural spring. Local folklore and historical records indicate that the well was visited for blessings and cures, particularly during the feast day of Saint John. Its enduring presence continues to attract visitors seeking spiritual reflection and healing. The well, adorned with inscriptions, some dating back to 1600, remains a site of veneration and a tangible connection to the spiritual practices of earlier generations. Its enduring presence reflects the reverence and affection carried by local traditions for this historic site. Lord Walter Fitzgerald (the fourth son of Charles, Duke of Leinster) visited the site in 1899 and documented its history in ''Inscriptions at St. John’s Well, Killone Abbey, County Clare'' for

the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The' ...

. Today, the site remains a focal point of local religious tradition, with an annual outdoor Mass held in June by the local parish, maintaining its role as a place of veneration and community gathering.

Access

The abbey and graveyard is privately owned, part of Newhall Estate, owned by the Commane family, and as protected sites under national monument legislation, guardianship is vested in the

Office of Public Works The Office of Public Works (OPW) (; legally the Commissioners of Public Works in Ireland) is a major Government of Ireland, Irish Government agency, which manages most of the Irish State's property portfolio, including hundreds of owned and ren ...

. As it is private land, access is available with the owner's permission. Killone Abbey is linked to

Clare Abbey Clare Abbey, also known as Clareabbey, is a ruined Augustinians, Augustinian monastery located near the Town of Ennis, along the banks of the River Fergus, Fergus River, and about a mile north of Clarecastle in County Clare, Republic of Ireland, ...

by the Pilgrim's Path, a footpath through Ballybeg forest.

Gallery

File:Killone 1890 2.jpg, Killone Abbey 1890 Lawrence Collection National Library of Ireland File:Killone 1890 1.jpg, Killone Abbey 1890 Lawrence Collection File:Killone Abbey June 2005.JPG, Killone Abbey File:Killone Abbey Graveyard Outside.jpg, Killone Abbey Graveyard Ennis File:Killone Abbey Graveyard Lake View.jpg, Killone Abbey Graveyard Ennis

Notes

References

Sources

* Glichrist, R., ''Gender and Material Culture: The Archaeology of Religious Women, (''London, 1994) * Ó Dálaigh, B., ‘Mistress, Mother and Abbess: Renalda Ní Bhriain c.1447-1510’ in ''North Munster Antiquarian Journal'', 32, (1990) pp 50–63. * O’Keeffe, T. ''An Anglo-Norman Monastery: Bridgetown Priory and the Architecture of the Augustinian Canons Regular in Ireland, (''Cork, 1999) * Westropp, T.J., ‘The Augustinian Houses of the County Clare: Clare, Killone and Inchicronan’ in ''Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland,'' (1900) pp 118–135.

External links

Ruins of Killone Abbey

Lawrence Collection Killone Abbey 1890
{{Tourism in County Clare Augustinian monasteries in the Republic of Ireland Buildings and structures in County Clare Monasteries of Canonesses Regular Ruins in the Republic of Ireland 1190 establishments in Europe Religion in County Clare Christian monasteries established in the 1190s National monuments in County Clare 12th-century establishments in Ireland