Historic town

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on the river Slaney in the valley between Tinoranhill and Tuckmill Hill. The Cistercian abbey of Baltinglass (WI027-024001-) was founded here in 1148 (Stalley 1987, 242). A tower house (WI027-024002-), known as the Abbot’s castle, was demolished in 1882 to provide materials for the building of a rectory. The foundations of the tower house are visible under an existing garden wall (Fitzgerald 1906-8, 397). A water-mill (WI027-024008-) and mill-race were listed in an Inquisition of 1541 as being part of the possessions of Baltinglass Abbey. Fitzgerald (ibid., 400) refers to the ‘burning of the whole towne’ in an Inquisition held in Newcastle (County Wicklow) in 1604. Also in a county Wicklow Exchequer Inquisition (Nos. 2 and 4 of Charles I) it mentions that in 1617 the abbey lands were created into a manor, by the name of the manor of Baltinglass, with a Court-Baron and Court-Leet, and the institution of a Thursday market and two fairs (ibid., 402). On 10 January 1663 the King, Charles II, directed that Baltinglass ‘which is an ancient village’ ‘shall be made into a corporate town and be henceforth governed by a Sovereign’. He also directed that there would be a Court of Record in addition to the existing courts. He had been informed that the Lord Chancellor (Sir Maurice Eustace) was preparing to build a parish church in the town, and houses for a Minister and School-master, and a bridge over the Slaney and a market and schoolhouse (ibid., 405).

Compiled by: Mary Tunney

Date of upload: 18 December 2012

References

FitzGerald, Lord W. 1906-8 Baltinglass Abbey, its possessions and their Post-Reformation proprietors. Journal of the Kildare Archaeological Society 5, 379-414.

Stalley, R. 1987 The Cistercian monasteries of Ireland. London and New Haven. Yale University Press.