Abbey of Saint John in Kilkenny

Artist(s): John Duff (Engraver)

Lateral view of the ruin of Saint John’s Abbey in Kilkenny, showing a series of tripartite Gothic windows. <br>Two years after this account appeared, <em>The Post-Chaise Companion</em> (1788) praised St John's in very similar terms.

Inscribed in Image

  • Signature – Duff Sc.
  • Caption outside of boundaries of image – Abbey of Saint John in Kilkenny.
  • Instructions to binder – to face page 100.

Image Details

Genre Landscape
Technique Engravings
Subject(s) Antiquities and archaeological sites, Architecture
Geographical Location
  • Kilkenny – County
  • Kilkenny – Town or city
  • Leinster – Province
  • St John's Abbey/Priory – Named locality
Keyword(s) Archaeological sites, Churches, Ruins
Colour Monochrome
Dimensions 14 cm x 17.2 cm
Published / created 1778

Bibliographical Details

Travel Account A Philosophical Survey of the South of Ireland
Contributor(s)
Note Thomas Campbell
Print or manuscript Print
Location of image in copy opp. p. 100
Source copy National Library of Ireland J.91414.CAN/1778
Alternative source

This is a link to a digital copy hosted by an external website.

 http://hdl.handle.net/2027/nnc1.0040989500?urlappend=%3Bseq=125
Permalink https://ttce.universityofgalway.ie/irelandillustrated/view/image/ii_image_1365678492
Rights Courtesy of the National Library of Ireland

Related text from travel account

I mentioned to you the towers of three monasteries, these are St. John's, St. Francis's, and the Black Abbey. St. John's has great elegance, and amazing lightness in [p. 100] the style of the building. The Abbey-church of Bath is, I think, called the lanthorn of England; but this is more windowed still; for about fifty-four feet of the south side of the choir yet entire, the whole seems to be one window. I send you a sketch of it. The east window is sixteen feet wide, and about forty high, as I guess. Belonging to this Abbey are the remains of several old monuments, almost buried in the ruins. [pp. 99-100]
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