Holycross Cistercian Abbey – Infirmary Building

While the restored church is operated by the local parish, it is the infirmary ruins beside the church that are under the care of the Office of Public Works. These ruins were once part of the original abbey that existed on these grounds, dating back to the founding of the Cistercian Abbey in the 1180s by the King of Limerick, Dónal Mór Ó’Briain.

Very little remains of the original abbey; parts of what is existing now date back to the 13^th century, while the majority of the building, and its features, date back to the 15^th century. Most of these 15^th century restorations was carried out under the patronage of the Butlers of Ormond.

The sedilia (usually stone seats, near the altar, for the clergy) is possibly the finest piece of 15^th century architecture in the country. The abbey also houses one of the only surviving medieval frescoes in Ireland.

The significance of this abbey originates to when Muirchertach O’Brian received a fragment of the True Cross of Christ’s crucifixion from Pope Paschal II, making it a popular pilgrimage place.

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This national monument is protected in accordance with the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014