Pilgrimage to the Home of Hurling.. kind of..
Today I made it to the fourth province, Munster, for another Club Championship game, Dingle v Clonmel Commercials in the spiritual home of hurling, The Field of legends, Semple Stadium.
The usual plan is to go for a little hike beforehand but the weather this morning wasn’t the kindest so I detoured for a different pilgrimage site, Holycross Abbey and a long overdue visit. It was 1989, I think, when I was last supposed to visit Holycross to pick up first prize in the final Tipperary County Board draw of that year! For some reason the presentation was switched to Golden village instead. It was certainly a golden opportunity for me, driving away in a brand new car!
I was delighted with the late change in plan today and had a fascinating visit to one of Ireland’s oldest places of pilgrimage, one that holds a relic of the True Cross.
Unbelievably thieves, using an angle grinder, stole this relic back in October 2011. Thankfully, Gardaí recovered the Relic in January 2012.
The Abbey has a long and storied history since its foundation by the Cistercians, way back in 1182 by a very distant relative of mine Dónal Mór Ó Brian, High King of Ireland! After the widow of King John, the Plantagenet Queen, Isabella of Angouleme presented the relic in 1233 the Abbey became a very busy place of medieval pilgrimage.
It has a fascinating history, becoming a rallying place for victims of religious persecution during the Protestant Reformation and became a symbol and inspiration for The Catholic faith and Irish independence. Red Hugh O Donnell came on pilgrimage here in 1601 on his way to the Battle of Kinsale.
He would be described as a War Criminal today, that beast Oliver Cromwell, conquered Ireland and the Abbey fell into ruins. Restoration was undertaken in the 1970s and in 1969 was returned as a Place of Worship.
There’s some lovely little features that are easily missed but definitely worth seeking out such as the very feint remains of one of the very few remaining 15th century frescos in the is country, depicting a local hunting scene. It consist of two archers, the huntsman blowing a horn while restraining his hound on a leash facing a deer. The photos won’t do it justice:
The ‘Waking Bier of the Monks’ is a beautiful shrine in the south transept, that is claimed was used to house the bodies of the dead monks before their burial. There are little carvings in the pillars created by the stone masons.
It was time to head to the Home of Hurling for the clash of Daingean Uí Chúis and Clonmel Commercials in the Munster Club Semi Final. The big empty stadium did nothing for the game and the first half seemed quite tame to me. It sparked to live in the second period and Dingle just about got over the line by 0-13 to 0-10. All in all though another good day out!
