Newtown Jerpoint facts for kids
The medieval lost town of Newtown Jerpoint is found in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It is located west of the Cistercian Jerpoint Abbey, close to Thomastown. This historic site is part of the privately owned Jerpoint Park.
Inside the town, you can find St. Nicholas’s Church and its graveyard. Many believe that the remains of St. Nicholas of Myra are buried here. At the top of the town stands Belmore House.
A Glimpse into Newtown Jerpoint's Past
Newtown Jerpoint was a busy town long ago. It was founded in the 12th century. The town was built where a main crossing of the River Nore was located. This crossing had a toll bridge, which is how Jerpoint got its name. "Nore bridge" is what Jerpoint means!
This was a lively place. It had about 27 houses, a court house, and a woollen mill. There was also a tannery (for making leather) and a brewery. People say it even had 14 taverns!
Newtown Jerpoint continued to exist into the 17th century. However, it slowly declined. This might have happened because its bridge was lost. Also, the main road was changed to go a different way.
The remains of Newtown Jerpoint are still visible today. It is very close to one of Ireland’s best-preserved Cistercian abbeys. This makes Newtown Jerpoint a very important place. It helps us learn about medieval settlements in Ireland.
The ruins of St Nicholas’ medieval parish church date from the 12th to 13th century. It has a late medieval rood gallery and a tower. The parish priest would have lived in this tower.
Belmore House was built in the 18th century. It was designed by the Irish architect Sir Richard Morrison. It was meant to be a hunting lodge for Earl Belmore. An extension was planned but never built. The Earl of Belmore's main home was Castle Coole.
The Mysterious Burial of St. Nicholas
One of the most exciting stories about Newtown Jerpoint is about St. Nicholas. He is the person who inspired the legend of Santa Claus! Many believe he was buried here about 800 years ago.
The grave slab in the church shows a cleric. Behind his shoulders are the heads of two knights. The story says this is St. Nicholas. The heads are the two crusaders who supposedly brought Nicholas's remains to Ireland.
This tale might be true for a few reasons. The Normans in Kilkenny loved collecting religious relics. We also know that Norman knights took part in the Holy Land Crusades.
There is another version of the story. It says a French family, the de Frainets, moved Nicholas's remains. They took them from Myra to Bari, Italy, in 1169. At that time, Bari was under Norman rule.
The de Frainets were crusaders who went to the Holy Land. They also owned land in Thomastown, Ireland. When the Normans were forced out of Bari, the de Frainets moved to Nice, France. They took the relics with them.
Later, when the Normans lost power in France, Nicholas de Frainet moved to Ireland. This version of the story says the relics were buried in Jerpoint in 1200.
Uncovering the Lost Town with Archaeology
In 2007, a special survey was done. The Heritage Council Ireland and the Discovery Programme ordered it. They used a technology called Lidar to map out Newtown Jerpoint. Lidar helps create detailed maps of the ground.
The Heritage Council of Ireland has called Newtown Jerpoint "One of Ireland’s best surviving examples of a deserted 12th Century Medieval Town." This shows how important this site is for understanding history.
