Holycross Village is beautiful and picturesque on the banks of the River Suir 6.5 Km south west of Thurles, Co. Tipperary. An ancient medieval bridge straddles the river and dates from 1424 AD. The famed restored Abbey, the ruinous monastic buildings, the old mill and the eel weirs speak of the importance of this site from ancient times. The Old Abbey Inn was once the guest house of the Abbey and today houses a friendly pub.
Looking westwards you see the imposing Holycross House, an estate house of the Armstrong Family and now the Parish Priest’s residence. Across the road is the local Community Hall. It was once a fine example of a ‘barn’ church. Further west is the fair green where major fairs were held twice a year. The old Church of Ireland building, on the highest point above the river, was built in 1821 AD. It is the likely site of an old Celtic monastery of more than a millennium ago.
To the east over the bridge is a neat terrace of houses. A century ago it had a post office, a blacksmith’s forge and a cooper’s workshop. Imagine the horses coming and going at the forge or the smell of the burning iron; the ring of the blacksmith’s hammer on the anvil or the rasp of the cooper’s saw as they sweated at their work. Across the road are the lovely thatched cottages which are now privately owned.
You might like to visit one of our homely country pubs or one of the fine dining venues.
Take a stroll around the beautiful village park, relax by the peaceful River Suir and chat with the locals.
To book a group tour of the village or the renowned Holycross Abbey, see http://www.holycrossabbey.ie/holycross-abbey/tours/