Killerig brings together traces of a monastic settlement and a Celtic church with evidence of a once-fortified site. Nearby is The Waterworks, a leisure centre in Killerig between the towns of Carlow and Tullow. The village landscape thus encompasses both ecclesiastical history and archaeological remains, as well as a modern leisure facility.
Monastic History and Religious Sites
Part of a monastic settlement survives in Killerig. A Latin cross also stands on the site of a Celtic church. Together, these features provide a tangible connection to the village’s religious past. Armed monks who arrived with the Anglo-Normans founded a monastery here. It remained until it was closed by Henry VIII around 1530.
West of Killerig churchyard lie the ruins of a priory of the Knights Hospitaller. The Norman knight Gilbert de Borard founded it in 1210. The ruins of a church dating from the 13th or 14th century also lie about a quarter of a mile north of the Killerig crossroads. The monastery, priory and church represent different religious institutions and periods; together, they give the village’s history more than a single point of focus.
Killerrig Castle and Archaeological Traces
The history of Killerrig Castle can also be placed in a specific timeframe. The site is marked on the Down Survey map of 1655–1656; by the time of the Ordnance Survey in 1837, it had already disappeared. Only scant remains survive of the once-fortified site. The only visible evidence is a foundation line of boulders at least four metres long. It is exposed in a field drain at the southeast corner of the site.
About 150 metres south of Killerrig Castle, investigations uncovered a ditch 5.3 metres wide. It encloses a rectangular area and was interpreted as the remains of a fortified site. A find at Baunogephlure adds to the picture in the surrounding area: an excavation revealed the remains of a ring ditch and a ringfort with three defensive banks. These findings give the area an archaeological dimension that extends beyond the history of the monastery and castle.
Leisure Facilities in Killerig
The Waterworks has a gym, a hot tub, a sauna, a steam room and a cold plunge pool. This provides a different offering in the village alongside its historical attractions: exercise, warmth and cold water instead of ecclesiastical history and archaeological remains. Check the current facilities before your visit.
County Carlow as a Regional Setting
In County Carlow, Brownshill Dolmen offers a distinctive glimpse of early Neolithic building culture. It is estimated to be about 4,900 to 5,500 years old. The granite capstone is thought to weigh more than 100 tonnes and is considered the largest of its kind in Europe. This timescale differs markedly from Killerig’s ecclesiastical and medieval associations.
St Mullins and Carlow Town also reveal different aspects of County Carlow’s history. The ecclesiastical ruins at St Mullins include five churches and the remains of a round tower. The Carlow County Museum documents the county’s history over the centuries and displays archaeologically, historically and culturally significant objects in four galleries. In Carlow Town, the self-guided Carlow Town Heritage Trail explores the history and heritage of the medieval town.
For broader trip planning in County Carlow, there are also routes with different characteristics to choose from. The Barrow Way stretches for 113 kilometres from County Kildare to the monastic village of St Mullins in the south of County Carlow, following the towpath beside the River Barrow. The 75-kilometre Mount Leinster Heritage Drive travels through the rural landscape in the south of the county and through Borris, Bunclody, Clonegal, Kildavin, Myshall, Fennagh and Bagenalstown. It is marked by clear road signs; large information boards in village centres provide additional details. This makes it possible to consider a longer riverside walk and a signposted driving route as two distinct destinations for a further trip.
Discover more destinations: Rathvilly, Hacketstown, Bunclody, Tullow, Ballon, Carlow, Muine Bheag, Borris
For the main travel overview: County Carlow.
