Killone Abbey Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Killone Abbey

Religion
Affiliation	Augustinian Pre-Reformation Catholic
Location
Location in Ireland
Architecture
Groundbreaking	founded c.1189 (or monks founded 1120)
Materials	sandstone
Website
http://www.newhall.ie

Killone Abbey (Irish: Mainistir Chill Eoin), situated in Killone, some 5 kilometres south of Ennis, County Clare, was a nunnery and abbey of Canonesses Regular founded in 1190 by Donal Mor O'Brien (Donal ‘the Great’ O’Brien), King of Thomond and Munster and dedicated to Saint John. It lies on the banks of Killone Lake.

The ruins of the abbey, accessible through land used for grazing cattle, are located in the grounds of Newhall House and Estate and include substantial remains of the abbey church together with a crypt. A narrow stone stairway leads between the altar and the east window to a ledge atop the remains of the south wall of the church, where an overview of the grounds may be seen with care.

Saint John's Holy Well
Access
Folklore
Gallery
See also

Saint John's Holy Well

St John’s well, a holy well and altar to the northeast of the nunnery, lies on the edge of Killone Abbey. An inscription records that the altar was last repaired by an Ennis merchant, Anthony Roche, in 1731. The altar is topped with several "cursing stones" used for keeping count of the pilgrims' rounds at the well. The rounds are associated with a Pilgrim's Road connecting the site to Ennis town, although the nunnery itself does not form part of the well rounds.

There is an outside mass each year in June held by the local parish.

Access

The abbey is a national monument under the guardianship of the Office of Public Works. However, public access to the site is at the discretion of the owners, because the abbey is private land. It is part of Newhall Estate, which is owned by the Commane family.

Folklore

Folklore has recorded so-called ‘corpse lights’ in the ruins of Killone, as well as at many other graveyards in Co. Clare. Killone Lake is also associated with the tale of a mermaid captured by one of the O’ Briens. He took her home, where she remained until it is said a fool tried to make her speak by throwing boiling water at her. Running back to the lake, she vowed:

“As the return of the salmon from the stream,

A return without blood or flesh,

May such be the departure of the O’Briens,
Like ears of wild corn from Killone.”

Soon after this curse, the O’ Briens vanished from Killone, never to possess it again.