Christmas in Ireland · Cities, Towns & Villages · County Kilkenny · Damp, Muddy & Happy · Ireland December 2012 · Monastery, Abbey, Church · Tourist Sites

Newtown Jerpoint, Thomastown, County Kilkenny

While my trip to Jerpoint Park was to visit the tomb of St Nicholas, I was introduced to another gem. The Church of St Nicholas was, at one point, on the edge of a medieval village called Newtown Jerpoint. It was a wealthy and vibrant town that was nestled on the edge of two rivers. What has been discovered in the past couple of years is a footprint of the town still intact.

Primary road through town; still noticeable hundreds of years later.
Primary road through town; still noticeable hundreds of years later.

As we left the church area, we continued toward the river. Throughout the ‘center’ of the town was a path of greener grass that was a clear road, still visible hundreds of years later. Around us were piles of foundation stones, as well as a partial ruin of a house or manor. As we reached the river, we could see where two of the three mills that once existed. At the River Nore, the water rippled over the ruins of the town’s bridge.

I am including a couple of links for you to explore. The first one provides a good overview of the town and its history. Even more phenomenal is the LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) graphic that clearly shows the imprint of the town. From there, an artist’s rendition of what the town would have looked like.

Truly remarkable and worth the trip.

Newtown Jerpoint
Newtown Jerpoint
Information sign on Newtown Jerpoint, the lost town
Information sign on Newtown Jerpoint, the lost town
Remnant of a manor house
Remnant of a manor house
Piles of foundation stones
Piles of foundation stones
River Nore; notice ripples in water ... Bridge stone ruins just under the water
River Nore; notice ripples in water … Bridge stone ruins just under the water
Holy Well
Holy Well

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