Old Kilcash
No word of Kilcash nor its household,
Their bell is silenced now.
Castle
The remains of the castle include a sixteenth-century tower and a seventeenth-century house that were the centre of a luxurious demesne.
Church
The medieval church is located in a graveyard with eighteenth-century headstones and the Butler family mausoleum.
History
The manor of Kilcash dates from the twelfth century. It passed from the de Valle (Wall) family to the Butlers of Ormond. Famous people associated with Kilcash include Lady Alice Kyteler (allegedly a witch), Walter of the Rosaries (the 11th Earl of Ormond) and Lady Iveagh.
What shall we for timber do henceforth?
Now what will we do for timber?
What will we do now for timber?
Where now is the sheltering wildwood?
The Irish lament Cill Chaise has been rendered into English since the nineteenth century. Translations have been produced by Michael Cavanagh (1822-1900), Thomas Kinsella (1928-), Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin (1942-), and Frank O’Connor (1903-66) amongst others.
Visiting
Old Kilcash, Co. Tipperary lies north of the N76 (Clonmel-Kilkenny road). It is visible from the road and the site is signposted. There is easy access to and parking at the old church which is open to the public. Access to the castle is currently restricted for safety reasons while the OPW finish their conservation work. However, visitors can park at its north gate from where they can easily see the building. The gardens and surrounding fields are private property.
North of the road between the church and castle is a narrow public road that leads to the woods at Old Kilcash. These are now maintained by Coillte, the national forestry agency, and are open to the public. The famous oaks are gone and have been replaced by evergreen trees. Parking at the entry to the wood is very limited and it may be easier to walk to its entrance from the church or the castle (about 60m).
Kilcash Village is a kilometre north west of Old Kilcash on a route which gives access to a popular walk up Slievenamon mountain and to public forestry. The village has an information panel for visitors.
The original material on this site can be reproduced for non-commercial purposes once its source is duly acknowledged. © John Flood, University of Groningen, 2019.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Historic Kilcash 
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