St. Berrihert's Kyle, Religious monument in Bansha, Ireland
St. Berrihert's Kyle is a stone enclosure in the Glen of Aherlow, 4.5 km southwest of Bansha, holding 72 cross slabs, four wheel crosses, the head and base of a high cross, the head of a small cross, fragments of a bullaun stone and a slab with an incomplete inscription. The present wall was built in 1946 by the Office of Public Works.
St. Berrihert's Kyle takes its name from Saint Berrihert, an Anglo-Saxon holy man traditionally believed to have come to the Glen of Aherlow after the Synod of Whitby in AD 664, when many Saxon monks arrived following the dispute over the dating of Easter. Some biographies make him a brother of Gerald of Mayo (d. 731), and he is probably the same man as St Berichter, patron of the early medieval site at Tullylease, County Cork. A medieval church once stood here; its carved stones were kept on site as sacred, while the present enclosure wall was built in 1946 by the Office of Public Works.
The name Kyle comes from the Irish cill, meaning church, and a medieval church once stood on the spot. Its stones were left in place because they were considered sacred, while the church walls were likely taken away for other building. The site is linked to Saint Berrihert, an Anglo-Saxon holy man whose feast day is 18 February.
The site is open to walk through at your own pace, with the ancient monuments clearly arranged within the protective enclosure for easy viewing. Wear sturdy shoes and watch your footing, especially if weather has made the stone surfaces slippery.
St. Berrihert's Well lies near the enclosure; the pool is about 20 m (66 ft) across and was traditionally believed to heal scalds and burns. Its feast-day link is to Berrihert, whose feast is 18 February.
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