Co. Kilkenny, Ireland
Burnchurch
History
Burnchurch was an unexpected treat. Legend has it the first building on the site dated back to the 6th century but was burned during a raid by Robert the Bruce, hence the area became known as “Burnchurch”.
There is a surprisingly intact tower house from the 15th century on the property with signage that explains the different levels of the house. A couple hundred feet away is a turret tower. Both are locked unfortunately.
Across the street, you’ll find a condemned Protestant church from the 1800’s who’s ceiling has fallen in, surrounded by a much older graveyard. The site wasn’t extensive, but it was very serene (probably because the location isn’t on a map), there’s plenty of tombstones to check out, and the dilapidation made for some great pictures.
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Outside of Kilkenny township, about 5 minutes drive from Kell’s Priory.
52.5756° N, 7.2971° W
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None designated.
Park at the pedestrian gate by the tower house and walk over to the church.
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The graveyard is open to walk around although the church door is padlocked.
The tower and turret houses say “No Trespassing” but have a very nice pedestrian gate and signage that suggest otherwise. These are both locked as well.
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Pros: Off the grid so don’t worry about crowds. Great photo ops.
Cons: Not much to see and what there is is locked.
