St Mullin's Monastic Site
Map Reference: S729380 (2729, 1380)
St Moling founded a monastery here at the end of the 7th century. He may have been Bishop of Ferns and also of Glendalough. The Kings of South Leinster, including the McMurrough Kavanaghs, were buried here.
The earliest remains are the very low stump of a Round Tower and a small granite High Cross. The decoration on the cross includes a Crucifixion, interlacing and spirals. The ring is solid and the base is cylindrical.
There are remains of several churches. These include St Mullin's Abbey, a medieval nave-and-chancel church with a spiral stairway, and St James's Chapel, a small oratory.
The monastery was plundered by the Vikings in 951 and burned in 1138. In an 8th century manuscript, known as 'The Book of Mulling', there is a plan of the monastery showing four crosses inside the round monastic wall and eight crossses outside it. Just outside the gate of the graveyard is a very fine Anglo-Norman motte.
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