Ahenny facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ahenny
Áth Eine
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Village
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Ahenny High Crosses-Kilclispeen Graveyard
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 Ahenny
Location in Ireland
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| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Munster |
| County | County Tipperary |
| Time zone | UTC+0 |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-1 |
Ahenny (which means "ford of Eine" in Irish) is a small village in County Tipperary, Ireland. It is famous for its very old and beautiful stone crosses, known as high crosses.
Near the village, you can find the ruins of an early Christian monastery called Kilclispeen. In its old graveyard stand two of Ireland's most well-known high crosses, called the Ahenny High Crosses.
Contents
Ahenny: A Glimpse into History
Ahenny is located near the border between Tipperary and Kilkenny. It sits on the side of Carrigadoon Hill, looking over the Lingaun river valley. In the past, there was a busy slate mining industry here. You can still see some signs of it today.
Ancient Tombs and Settlements
The area around Ahenny is home to many ancient burial sites. These are called megalithic tombs, which are tombs made from large stones. Ahenny was once part of the ancient Kingdom of Ossory.
About two kilometers east, on Killmacoliver Hill, is the Baunfree megalithic tomb. Two kilometers north, you'll find the Knockroe passage tomb, also known as the Coshel. This tomb is on top of a hill.
The Knockroe passage tomb is very special. It has many similarities to other famous Irish tombs like Newgrange, Knowth, and Loughcrew. It is one of the most decorated ancient tombs outside of the Boyne Valley area.
Ten kilometers to the west is Slievenamon Hill, which also has an ancient stone cairn (a pile of stones) from the Neolithic period (New Stone Age) at its top.
The Lingaun river starts on Slievenamon. It flows east for about ten kilometers before turning south. This bend in the river, about six kilometers north of Ahenny, marks an important boundary. It is where the province of Leinster meets Munster, and where County Tipperary meets County Kilkenny.
Ahenny High Crosses: Stone Stories
The high crosses found in the Ossory region are some of the earliest Celtic crosses in Ireland. The ones in western Ossory, including Ahenny, are thought to be the very oldest.
Where to Find These Crosses
The group of Celtic crosses in west Ossory includes those at Ahenny and Kilkieran, which is two kilometers to the south-east. Eight kilometers further south is Tibberaghny. The Killamery High Cross, eight kilometers north of Ahenny, also belongs to this group. Sometimes, the Kilree High Cross, which is sixteen miles north-east of Ahenny, is also included.
What the Crosses Look Like
The Ahenny high crosses (which are protected as national monument #124) are early examples of Irish high crosses. They still look a bit like the wooden crosses that came before them.
You can see beautiful Celtic knotwork and raised bumps (called bosses) carved into the stone. These carvings copy what a wooden cross might have looked like. One of the Ahenny crosses also shows a clear image of an ancient Irish chariot. This image, along with others from different high crosses, helped experts create a modern copy of an ancient chariot.
