BY JOHN FITZGERALD
Historic Kells, situated on the King’s River, has a heritage unequalled by most towns or villages of its size anywhere in the world. Today it rests amid idyllic pastoral beauty… rich farmland that rolls like a lush carpet of emerald green.
With its river, trees, hedges, and rustic lanes, this canopy spreads in all directions…as far as the eye can see: A fitting backdrop for a village that has become a veritable jewel in the heart of South Kilkenny.
But this tourist Mecca had a turbulent past, full of sorrow, conflict, occupation, and fleeting glory as competing military factions and power brokers fought over it…or used it as a battleground to settle their differences.
Kells became prominent historically in 1170 with the Norman invasion of Leinster. This effectively ended the ancient system of rule by native kingships.
The Priory that enthrals so many thousands of visitors every year was founded in 1193 on the orders of the mighty Strongbow. Baron Geoffrey FitzRobert built the Priory and a Norman style town grew up around it.
The Priory ruin today is one of the largest and most impressive of our national monuments. Of special interest is the series of medieval tower houses arranged along and within the ancient walls that enclose the three-acre historic site.
From the beginning, these militaristic looking structures gave the Priory a distinctly fortress-like appearance that encouraged locals to christen them the “Seven Castles.”
Kells experienced a boom and bloom period for a few decades as it basked in the glow of Baron Geoffrey’s influence. Unfortunately, the Baron fell foul of England’s King John, who had him detained as a hostage at Hereford Castle.
His detention was part of a complex mind-game devised by the King to restrict the powers of Norman Barons who he feared were getting too big for their boots. Baron Geoffrey died in captivity in 1211.
In 1252 decades of peace and prosperity were shattered when Lord Bermingham’s army wrecked the Priory and burned the whole town of Kells. The death of the last member of the FitzRobert line in 1312 spelt disaster for Kells. The protection they had afforded to the town was gone, and the ravages of cruel absentee landlords replaced their benign rule.
In 1316, just when it seemed Kells could hardly be any worse off, a force under the command of Lord Edward Bruce stormed through the town on his way to inflict a crushing defeat on his enemy, Lord Justice Butler. Kells got caught in the middle. In 1327, another invasion force- commanded by the Geraldines- arrived to again destroy both the town and the magnificent Priory.
In 1346, Kells lost its heroic Baron Eustace when he opted to join an ill-fated rebellion against the English. The Baron was captured in County Kerry after a battle at Castleisland. Following a show trial, he was hanged, drawn, and quartered. His Barony was declared forfeit and transferred to the ownership of Lord Walter de Bermingham, one of the King’s favourites.
In 1540, Henry VIII added to the troubles of the district by dissolving the Priory and dividing its lands, amounting to about 3,000 acres, among loyal aristocrats. In 1550, the Barony changed hands again, passing to Richard Butler, the Lord Viscount Mountgarret.
Between 1650 and 1653 Oliver Cromwell really put the boot in…creating unfair land division in the Kells area. He confiscated huge chunks of land in the Kells Barony and presented these as gifts to loyal friends and supporters. He exiled many of the noblemen who had held sway in the district.
From this point onwards, the town began its long and irreversible slide-back into social and economic stagnation.
That trend continued until, in recent years, the forward looking and resilient people of Kells realised the enormous potential of the treasure-trove that lay, literally in ruins, around them.
In addition to promoting the cultural significance of the Priory, locals have restored the much-loved Mullins Mill, which has now become both a major tourist attraction and a prime example of how a community can preserve and conserve its valuable heritage. The late John Sheridan played a major; some would say heroic, role in this process. His dedication inspired similar initiatives in other parts of Ireland.
Once again, as in the glorious age of Geoffrey FitzRobert and Strongbow, all roads lead to Kells.
