Gowran Abbey

About this place

St. Mary’s Collegiate Church Gowran (Irish: Eaglais Mhuire), also known as the Church of the Blessed Virgin of the Assumption, is a church in the centre of the town of Gowran, County Kilkenny, Ireland. The site is a National Monument in the care of the Gowran Development Association (GDA) and the Office of Public Works (OPW). The church and its family connections have been of huge importance to Gowran and further afield over the centuries. The church is a collegiate church, which means that the priests or chaplains attached to it lived in community together. The present church was not a monastery or an abbey; however experts believe the church was built on the site of an earlier monastery. The presence of an Ogham stone on the site, which is on display in the chancel, suggests there was a place of worship here dating back 2000 years to Celtic times or beyond.

Visitor Information

Opening hours

Jun-Aug

Heritage status

Protected Heritage Site

Getting There & Parking

Gowran Abbey is located in County Kilkenny, roughly 124 km (1h 50m drive) from Dublin. The nearest public car park is 109 m away. Nearby highlights within a short drive include Ballyshanemore Castle (0.5 km away).