My Visit to Churchclara: Discovering Ogham Stones and Celtic Crosses in Kilkenny

Hello friends, Aidan here from Gifts of Ireland.

This week on my Story of Ireland, I took a spin out to a quiet corner of Kilkenny—to the old church ruins in Churchclara. I’d heard there might be something special hidden there, and sure enough, the place had a story to tell.

The church is said to have been founded by St. Colman, and it’s been standing in some form since the 11th or 12th century. There’s no roof left, and time has taken its toll, but you can still see the original structure clearly. It’s the kind of place that feels settled, like it belongs right where it is—no fuss, just stone and silence.

As we walked around, I spotted something unusual built into the wall—a stone marked with Ogham script, Ireland’s oldest form of writing. That was the first of two Ogham stones we discovered in the church. One had been reused as a windowsill, and the other was uncovered during restoration work. Ogham was used in early medieval times to inscribe names and mark places. It’s made up of simple lines, but there’s something powerful about it, especially when you see it in the very wall of a church like this.

Outside, the graveyard was dotted with Celtic cross headstones, each one carved with detail and care. Some were worn, some still strong, but all of them carried a deep sense of meaning. One grave in particular caught my eye—it belonged to an Irish soldier from World War I, who died in 1916. It was a modest marker, but one that made me stop for a quiet moment. There’s something deeply moving about seeing that kind of history tucked away in a country churchyard.

And of course, in perfect Irish fashion, a few horses were roaming around in the field just behind the church. They didn’t pay much attention to us, just carried on grazing, but it added a lovely bit of calm to the afternoon.

These small, unexpected places remind me why I started the Gifts of Ireland journey in the first place. Everything we offer—every symbol, every carving—has roots in places like this.

If you were drawn to the beauty of the Celtic crosses at Churchclara, you might enjoy exploring our Celtic Cross Jewellery Collection. Each piece is crafted here in Ireland and carries that same sense of tradition and faith.

Watch on YouTube Shorts

Explore More on Our Site:

• The Irish Language: Ancient Ogham to the Revival
• Mass Rocks in Ireland during Penal Times
• The Magnificent Celtic Cross of Moone

Reader Reward – 15% Off Celtic Cross Jewellery

Thanks for reading! As a thank-you, here’s a 15% discount off our entire Celtic Cross Jewellery Collection.

Use code CHURCHCLARA15 at checkout:

(Code is valid until the 18th of May)

Shop Now

Thanks for coming along on this visit. Sometimes the quietest places hold the strongest connections.

Slán go fóill,

Aidan