BY JOHN FITZGERALD
(PART TWO)
A TREASURE TO BEHOLD
Continuing the story of this treasure of Kilkenny’s heritage…
By 1776, the Black Abbey’s status as a church had been almost forgotten. The building was in a dilapidated state. Its roof had fallen in, part of the nave had disappeared, and the church pillars were buried in rubble. The magnificent gable window was bricked up, while other windows had long since been transferred to a non-Catholic church in Dublin.
But in 1789, restoration work on the Black abbey was underway, even though an Act of Parliament forbade the repair of ancient monasteries. Luckily, the authorities turned a blind eye and the marathon face-lift continued.
In 1816, a mass was celebrated there for the first time since Cromwell’s attack. The Dominicans began to re-establish their position in Kilkenny. By the end of the 19th century, the abbey had its nave restored and a new priory stood next to the church.
Over the following decades, further restoration schemes were initiated at the abbey. Between 1976 and 1979, extensive renovations were carried out. Stone replaced plaster on the walls. New heating and lighting systems were installed. The organ loft was repaired. A master-joiner, Jimmy Dunlop of Kilkenny, recreated the delicate stone ribs on the ceiling in medieval style.
On February 11th, 1979, the Bishop of Ossory, Dr. Peter Birch dedicated the Black Abbey. The President of Ireland, Dr. Patrick Hillery and the Taoiseach, Jack Lynch, were among the impressive line-up of celebrities who attended the special ceremony.
The Bishop stressed that the abbey belonged to the people of Kilkenny. He praised its custodians, the Dominican Order, who had looked after it since 1225, withstanding
“dungeon, fire, and sword” in the process. “The renovations have transformed the abbey”, he declared, “and ensured that it will be with us for at least the next 750 years.”
In addition to structural work on the building, all the stained glass windows were dismantled and repaired. In 1993, the open space in front of the church entrance was paved with Wexford brick. In the same year, the restored church bells rang out, ushering in a new era for the Dominicans and echoing the abbey’s troubled, heroic past.
Any first time visitor to Kilkenny would do well to take a walk around the abbey and savour this part of the City’s- and Ireland’s- heritage. You can see the ancient tower, which now serves as the organ loft. This is reputed to be older than the church itself.
The new altar and sanctuary, lovingly restored to their former glory, have been described as “heavenly” and “out of this world” by tourists. An image of the Trinity sculptured in alabaster occupies pride of place within the abbey. It dates from 1264. This piece was hidden in one of the old walls throughout the repressive eras of Henry VIII, Cromwell, and the Penal Laws.
Another significant feature is the famous Rosary Window, the largest of its kind in Ireland. It has 10,000 pieces of glass and was repaired in 1994 at a cost of £66,000. A banner from the days of the great Confederation of Kilkenny is also on display, recalling the city’s proudest moments. The seven-hundredweight bell is worth a look. A number of old chalices can also be seen. Some are centuries old.
An oaken statue of a Dominican, carved during penal times under cover of darkness, is in the Priory museum, and a fourteenth-century limestone figure of St Catherine of Alexandria has been photographed thousands of times. It is bordered by incised floriated patterns and is considered a remarkable work of art.
To the left of the main entrance to the abbey is a line of stone monuments and other antiquities, some of which date to Norman times. There are also the coffins of Norman Lords, unearthed during excavations in 1851.
So when you visit the Black abbey, bring a camera as well as a rosary beads!
