'It's a jewel' the Laois monastic abbey with Salzburg Cathedral links

A rural community who took on the care of one of Ireland's oldest monastic sites 50 years ago this year, have celebrated their golden anniversary with a lovely concert and are planning a bigger event around its strong connection to Austria.

Aghaboe Abbey near Ballacolla in the centre of Laois was part of a monastic settlement founded by St Canice in the year 576.

Today it still has a large roofless abbey with a beautiful carved window, a smaller church with a medieval belltower and a graveyard, with a big carpark and information board for the steady stream of tourists it receives.

The abbey is the ruins of a Dominican friary founded in 1382 by Finghan MacGillapatrick, Lord of Ossory. The Aghaboe commmittee has worked since 1974 to protect it from collapse into mere memory.

Two founding committee members are still on board 50 years later, the former MEP Liam Hyland and Padraig Keeshan.

Padraig told the Leinster Express / Laois Live how it all began.

"In 1974 there was a clean-up done of the ruins. From 1984 to 87 we were helped by ANCO (community employment scheme) to preserve it. We rebuilt walls and sealed the top with slates.

"In 1999 we developed a carpark and for the millennium we added toilets. These days its about maintenance, and it is all done through local fundraising. We have received tremendous support from the local community," he said.

Aghaboe has an important link to Salzburg Cathedral in Austria.

St Feargal is believed to have served as Abbot of Aghaboe, before going on to establish a cathedral and become bishop of Salzburg, Austria where he is known as St Virgil. An early astronomer, he was one of the first to maintain that the earth was round. When his cathedral was destroyed by fire in 1181, his grave was discovered, leading to his canonisation as a saint.

Padraig describes the still strong connection today between both parishes.

"The Archbishop of Salzburg retraced his steps to Aghaboe on the 1200th centenary of St Feargal founding the cathedral in Salzburg. Since that, there have been numerous pilgrimages back and forth. The connection is very strong.

"This year as we celebrate our 50 years, in Austria the parish of Salzburg is also celebrating St Feargal on September 24. There is a group of 21 of us from Aghaboe taking a trip to Salzburg, from September 19 to 26. It will round off the year," Padraig said.

The group celebrated its golden anniversary with a lovely public concert in the Hawthorn Community Hall in Ballacolla on April 7, attended by an audience of about 300 (pictures by Alf Harvey).

Committee members, Padraig Keeshan, Paula Delaney, Joe Hyland, Marie Keenan and Robert Thompson at the Aghaboe Abbey Preservation Committee Variety Concert in The Hawthorm Community Hall, Ballacolla. Picture: Alf Harvey.

The fundraiser featured performances by local artists Castlecomer Male Voice Choir, singer Martin Delaney, poet, singer and storyteller Michael Creagh, Camross Comhaltas with three world champion dancers, singer Tina Cuddy and folk band Na Riadhdóirí from Ballacolla.

"They all performed excellently, there was a good mix of music and story. We thank everybody who took part, all doing it for free, no charge. The proceeds will go towards continued maintenance of the abbey site," he said.

More work is in store.

"We are hoping to organise a Let's Meet Again festival in August to coincide with Laois Heritage Week. We are working with the Heritage Officer Thomas Carolan on an artist's impression of what Aghaboe Abbey looked like in the 12th and 13th century. We will put up a board to display it permanently at the abbey," he said.

The abbey is popular with tourists visiting daily.

"People visit it every day, we have a plaque there explaining its history. We are very proud of it. It is a massive jewel in the area. It is one of the major monastic sites in Ireland," Padraig said.

The original monastery burned in 1234, and was rebuilt as an Augustinian priory. Today a Church of Ireland, which dates from the 1700s, stands where that priory once stood. This church may contain fragments of the Augustinians’ buildings, such as a carved limestone head that dates from the Middle Ages. The small belltower has the same proportions as one from the 1200s.

An audioguide is available through Laois County Council to listen to while visiting the site. 

The Salzburg trip is open to the public to come along, it will cost about €1,200 per person including bed and breakfast accommodation, transport and day trips.