Holycross

For other uses, see Holy Cross (disambiguation).

Holycross Irish: Mainistir na Croiche
Village
Holycross Bridge and abbey
Holycross
Coordinates: 52°38′23″N7°52′00″W / 52.639626°N 7.866597°W / 52.639626; -7.866597
Country	Ireland
Province	Munster
County	Tipperary
Population  (2016) [1]	715

Holycross (Irish : Mainistir na Croiche) ^[2] is a village and civil parish in County Tipperary, Ireland. It is one of 21 civil parishes in the barony of Eliogarty. The civil parish straddles the baronies of Eliogarty and of Middle Third. It is also an ecclesiastical parish in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly.

The village developed around the Cistercian Holy Cross Abbey on the River Suir. Its population was 715 at the 2016 census. ^[1]

Transport

The Thurles to Clonmel via Cashel bus route serves Holycross. ^[3] The nearest railway station is Thurles railway station at approximately 6 kilometres distance. By road, Thurles is 7 km to the north-east.

Village pub

History

The Abbey

The parish, numbered 10, within the Archdiocese

Holy Cross Abbey was founded in 1180 by King Domnall Mór Ua Briain and was renovated and added to during the 15th century. It became a place of pilgrimage when a relic of the True Cross was presented to the Cistercian monks. The monastery was suppressed by King Henry VIII during the 16th century. The Abbey was abandoned circa 1650, fell into ruin. The late Dr. Thomas Morris, Archbishop of Cashel and Emly, inspired the reconstruction of the Abbey which was opened in 1975. The church of this Cistercian Abbey was re-roofed and restored to its former glory as one of the finest Irish 15th-century churches. The foundation in 1169 was originally by the Benedictine order.^{[ citation needed ]}

Relic

In 1975, on the restoration and reconsecration of the Abbey, an artifact, purportedly a relic of the true cross, was reinstated after several centuries. ^[4] The relic was stolen, along with a number of other items in October, 2011. ^[5] It was recovered and returned by Gardaí in January 2012. ^[6]

Sport

Holycross–Ballycahill GAA is the local Gaelic Athletic Association club.

Holycross Football Club is a soccer club for juvenile and adult players located on the Cashel Road.^{[ citation needed ]}

See also

• List of civil parishes of County Tipperary
• List of towns in the Republic of Ireland

References

1. "Sapmap Area - Settlements - Holycross". Census 2016. CSO. April 2016. Archived from the original on 25 September 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
2. "Mainistir na Croiche/Holycross". Placenames Database of Ireland (logainm.ie). Retrieved 18 December 2021.
3. "Bernard Kavanagh & Sons LTD. :: Home". Archived from the original on 23 July 2013. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
4. Archived 2006
5. Carty, Ed & Sarah Stack (12 October 2011). "Rare precious relic from cross Jesus died on stolen in audacious raid at Holy Cross Abbey". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 21 January 2012. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
6. Carbery, Genevieve (17 January 2012). "'True cross' relics returned to Tipperary". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 18 January 2012. Retrieved 19 January 2012.

External links

• Holycross Abbey website
• Holycross-Ballycahill GAA Club