Kells Priory (Irish: Prióireacht Cheanannais) is one of the largest medieval monuments in Ireland. The Augustine priory is situated alongside King's River beside the village of Kells in the townland of Rathduff (Madden), about 15 km south of the medieval city of Kilkenny. The priory is a National Monument and is in the guardianship of the Office of Public Works. One of its most notable features is a collection of medieval tower houses spaced at intervals along and within walls which enclose a site of just over 3 acres (12,000 m2). These give the priory the appearance more of a medieval fortress than of a place of worship and from them comes its local name of "Seven Castles".
4 km southeast of the priory on the R697 regional road is Kilree round tower and 9th century High Cross, said to be the burial place of Niall Caille. It was used in the film Barry Lyndon as the location for the English Redcoat encampment.
Kells Priory was founded by Geoffrey FitzRobert most probably in 1193. FitzRobert was brother-in-law to Strongbow and the priory succeeded an earlier church that was dedicated to St. Mary, the Blessed Virgin and served as the parish church to nearby Kells village.
During its first century and a half, the priory was attacked and burned on three occasions, first by Lord William de Bermingham in 1252, by the Scots army of Edward Bruce on Palm Sunday 1316, and by a second William de Bermingham in 1327.
In 1324 the Bishop of Ossory, Richard de Ledrede, paid a lenten visit to the priory. Following an inquisition into a Kilkenny sect of heretics, Alice Kyteler and William Outlawe were ordered to appear before the Bishop to answer charges of witchcraft. Outlawe was supported by Arnold de Poer, Lord of Kells who arrested the Bishop and had him imprisoned in Kilkenny Castle for 17 days. This caused great scandal and on his release, the Bishop successfully prosecuted the heretics. Alice Kyteler fled to England and remained there, Alice Smith also fled, but her maidservant Petronilla de Meath became Ireland's first heretic to be burned at the stake.
Dissolution of Kells Priory finally took place in March 1540 and the church and property were surrendered to James Butler, 9th Earl of Ormonde.
