This cache is located near the beautiful town of Graiguenamangh along the banks of the River Barrow. The original cache was placed in August 2005 by the Quiet Man but has since been adopted by myself. I have included it as part of the Barrow Way series of caches which is slowly developing along the banks of this fine river. The Barrow Way is a 100km plus, long-distance walking trail, divided into 10 sections each representing roughly a half days walking. The trail starts in Robertstown in Co Kildare and ends at St. Mullins in Co Carlow.
Graiguenamangh is the home of Duiske Abbey, the largest of the Irish Cistercian monastery churches and whose buildings encompassed much of the town. The Abbey began to fall into decline in 1536 when it was suppressed. Although the monks continued to occupy it for many years, it gradually fell into ruin. The last tragedy was in 1744, when the tower collapsed into the nave. However, the debris from the tower was smoothed over to create a new floor and the west end was re-roofed to make a place of worship for the Protestant Church of Ireland. In 1812 the church was returned to the Catholic community and the long work of restoration began – to be completed finally in the 1980’s.
Out side is not particularly impressive but once inside a splendid vista opens up. The long nave, with its ancient stone and high clerestory windows, conveys the simplicity and serenity that only the monks knew. As a link with the past, an effigy of a 13th century knight found in the ruins was installed by the main entrance. He is unidentified but known locally as the “Crusader”– but he makes a suitable guardian. Descend some steps from the south transept – to the original pre-1744 floor level – to see the magnificent Transitional (between Romanesque and Gothic) processional door of about 1220, used by the monks on ceremonial occasions and still there after almost eight centuries. The Aughtiltan and Ballyogen Crosses, dating from the 8th and 9th centuries, are to be seen in the churchyard. Examples of the early mediaeval floor tiles can be seen in the original floor to the right of the main entrance.
The cache is placed on top of an old wall a few meters away from its original position. You can certainly rest your legs nearby.