Ullard Church, Medieval church and national monument in County Kilkenny, Ireland.
Ullard Church is a small nave-and-chancel church built of local granite, with a Romanesque west doorway whose two outer arches survive in their original form while the inner order was rebuilt. A granite high cross about 4 m tall stands at the south-east corner of the church, and two bullaun stones lie in the field to the north.
The site began as a monastery in the 7th century and was later developed with a stone church in the 12th century. The high cross was constructed in the 9th century and has remained part of the location since then.
The high cross displays religious scenes like the Crucifixion, Adam and Eve, David with his harp, and the Binding of Isaac. These carvings served as visual teaching tools for visitors who could not read.
The church sits about 700 meters (2,300 feet) west of the River Barrow in County Kilkenny and is located in a quiet rural area. A holy well dedicated to St Fiacre can be found in the northern field near the site.
Around 1900, a Gaelic handball alley was built using one of the church walls as a playing surface. This adaptation shows how medieval sites in the region were repurposed for everyday recreational activities.
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