Recreation

Walking and hillclimbing are among the more popular pursuits of Graiguenamanagh area and with the South Leinster Way meandering through the lovely Barrrow Valley and traversing nearby Brandon Hill, scope is provided for the a gentle stroll or a vigorous,day-long hike. The Barrow's aquatic facilities include fishing, swimming and kayaking (canoeing). Graigue, as th town is popularly known, is home to a rowing club and the two poular sporting clubs, the G.A.A and the soccer club, Highview Athletic.

In the centre of the town, its handsome modern library features a comprehensive Local History Section. It provides an Internet Service to the public and, in addition to its other functions, hosts periodic art exhibitions. The very active Graiguenamanagh Historical Society also sponsor a series of talks and lectures at this venue during the winter season. Adjacent to the library is The Abbey Centre,the home of a Christian Art Gallery and small museum. Here also for the genealogically inclined may be perused the Graiguenamanagh Parish Birth and Marriage Registers.

Duiske Abbey

The Duiske Abbey, which takes its name from the little river Duiske (Blackwater) which joins the Barrow here, was founded by William Marshall in 1204 and was suppressed by Henry VIII in 1536. Significant remains of the monastery exist to the rear of the houses that line the east side of Lower Main Street. The abbey's large "Early English" gothic

Gothic architecture

Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....

 church, was restored in the 1970s and in its northern aisle a model shows the monastery as it was in the fourteenth century.

See also

• List of abbeys and priories in Ireland (County Kilkenny)
• List of towns and villages in Ireland
• Market Houses in Ireland
  Market Houses in the Republic of Ireland
  Market houses are a notable feature of many Irish towns with varying styles of architecture, size and ornamentation making for a most interesting feature of the streetscape. Originally there were three, four or even five bays on the ground floor which were an open arcade. An upper floor was...
  
  

Further reading

• 'Graiguenamanagh:A Town and its People', John Joyce,(Graigue Publications,1993).
• 'The Old Grey Mouse',Sean Swayne,(The Abbey Centre,1995).
• 'Tinnahinch: A Village within a Town',Owen Doyle & Colm Walshe,(Graiguenamanagh Historical Society, 2003).
• 'The O'Leary Footprint'(Philip E. Murphy and J.David Hughes eds),(The O'Leary Archive,2004).
• 'Graiguenamanagh Families',Owen Doyle & Colm Walshe,(Graiguenamanagh Historical Society,2006).
• 'Graiguenamanagh:A Varied Heritage', John Joyce,(Graiguenamanagh Historical Society,2009).