Knights of the Templers grave yard, Templars Hall

spankmemunkey

Just found out today why Templars Hall is really called Templars Hall, nothing to do with a temporary halting site as i was informed very many moons ago by a painter working in my house, not being originally from Waterford i knew that was really a joke but never asked more into it, living in the area for over ten years i just found out the real reason for it to come to the name Templars Hall.

So the Nights of the Templars are buried in a little graveyard that is surrounded by a housing estate and an industrial park(bravo Waterford planners) lets build around an area of serious historic significance and not promote or even look after the sacred site.

Only passing today did i realise where it was and thought it was quite sad that there was no hullaballoo about the site which i think is as important as the vikings, The crusades, the holy wars, Knights fighting in Jerusalem who may be buried there?

Just thought it was very sad that this area has been allowed go into rack and ruin and not promoted very well i think it would be a huge point of interest for tourism having worked in that industry for over 10 years i never heard about it.

from the information that I've been given one local took it upon himself to look after and clean it up and so on, graves have been smashed in and filled in with beer cans etc, I have to say I'm both enthused and upset to see a site of such significance seemingly left as a drinking area.

Then again maybe i didn't research enough to go on my mini rant ha ha, I assume most locals know of its existance

aziz

Yeah,I always thought that the site deserved more respect that it got,grew up in Ballybeg and it was a place we sometimes go to to drink as teenagers but I was the one who was fascinated with the history of it and hated what it had become.

I remember,going back nearly forty years ,that it was very run down and vandalised and that was when it was in the middle of nowhere ,that i learned it was connected to the Templar knights was why wasn’t it treated the same as temple town on the hook

aziz

And as as far as your painter saying about the halting site

well he’s a bullshiter of the highest order

spankmemunkey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119620173#Comment_119620173

i just think its much more of a big deal than its been made out to be, like from a tourism perspective that should be cleaned up and promoted more it is a real shame that we could have warriors who fought in a holy war in jerusalem during the crusades and their tombs are filled with empty beer cans, wat a dishonour to them, nothing is sacred.

friendlyfun

I have been in there a few times. Its quite incredible how old some of the graves actually are. There is one tomb there that is from 1598. I'd say the graveyard is probably under a lot more pressure recently due to new developments in the area. It's a very important part of local history and its a unique graveyard. Just because it isn't related to Viking history doesn't mean it should ignored, at least that seems to be the council history.

spankmemunkey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119620802#Comment_119620802

I think its a real shame, that should be properly promoted protected and looked after, should be locked too, theres a tomb thats been smashed in, and its completely overgriwn. i will be contacting the council and waterford museum of treasures to find out who is responsible for it and its upkeep, theres a new housing estate built rught on top of it and kids being kids will wander in and may enjoy it but most likely get up to no good as its a walled secluded area, i wouldnt be happy seeing it in that state.

spankmemunkey

Ive contacted senator john cummins as that is his constituency and the lady who was very polite and helpful also had no idea it was there, it falls under heritage but someone has to be looking after that place.

Aquos76

I visited there back in 2016

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQhKqbf_kGU&feature=share&si=ELPmzJkDCLju2KnD5oyZMQ

spankmemunkey

I got a response from Heritage to the effect of, well we have 146 sites to look after and we don't really have the funds to look after this site and there was a lad who looked after it and he tends to it sometimes.

My answer was that this site surely is of high importance and that open tombs with four foot drops are a danger to the public and should be either rectified or closed, I didn't get a response to my final email pointing out the dangers the site poses especially with a new estate popping up right beside it and lots of small curious children wandering in.

I will at some point go down there with strimmers and shears and tidy that site up, its really really sad, I asked lots of people in Waterford young and old and nobody heard of it. I would say from a tourism point of view its also very important.

LapsypaCork

Hi, I lived in Waterford many years back and never heard of this either. It is so sad that these once brave and mighty men are now lost in history. Just a suggestion, but could you reach out to the local historical society and as them if they could find out more about the burial site and put an article together. Then, maybe invite along some local journalists and radio stations to the area and see if they’d help to publicise the area and story. I bet if you spoke to a local radio station some morning you’d get lots of people coming in with interest and more information and maybe offers of help. It’s a sad story but fair play to you for raising the issue.

new92

Kilbarry was a site of great significance to the local chapter of templars. They had a monastery on the site too. The templars had a stone tower on the manor, at Dunphy's. It was demolished in the early 60s. The knights templar must not have been considered significant in Waterford.

Quigs Snr

... and speaking of that tower near Dunphys shop that was demolished... taken from the Waterford History Group on Facebook - which you should absolutely join OP.... lots on info on that templar graveyard on there if you join and use the search function.

One of the admins there posted the following:

" the "castle "was in fact a mill reputed to have been the property of the Knights Templars of Kilbarry , it was demolished in the 1950s."

new92

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119638137#Comment_119638137

That's a great photo! This was also where the circus used to set up when they came to town.

spankmemunkey

I actually contacted the news and star, and asked her did she remember Indiana jones when he must select which holy grail was which there was a knight who was there to protect the grail, he was a knight of the Templars, with his red cross.

As i said i got very animated and annoyed when i heard about this site and how it has been disrected in my opinion and alot of people thought wats he getting so animated about but its a sad stroll when you walk in that site and see the state its in.

Warriors who fought in Jerusalem knights of the Templar.

Enough said really, ill go and do some garden work if anybody would like to petition the heritage dept in the council please do, therea 2 emails from 2 ladies in heritage.

The site is currently over grown and a hazard to the publicin its current condition, that would be my first argument, if the site is open to the publicit shud be safe, i will go as i said witj strimmer and shears soon enough but really heritage shud be stepping up,

BBM77

The council does not have a bull’s notion about managing and maintaining a city. Sure Blackfriars and St Johns Priory are a mess and they are in the city centre. Remember for a long while a couple of years ago there was a 6’ high weed on the corner of the bridge turning down the quay. It is all well and good coming up with “sexy” projects like the north quays or Viking Triangle, which I support. But the council does not even seem to get the importance of maintaining presentation and appearance.

friendlyfun

A friend and I went on a walk to some of the old graveyards in the city in May 2016. The first two photos are of Kill St Lawrence Graveyard which was used as a famine graveyard I believe, but also predates the famine.

The third photo is of Ballygunner Temple, from the 1700s. It was used to serve the city of Waterford.

A United Irishman leader named John Moore was buried there in 1799 after his death. His grave was only found by accident in 1960. His remains were removed from Ballygunner and then re-interred in Castlebar in state military funeral attended by Dev and Sean Lemass.

Finnbar01

If ye can spare some time. Clean up of the Templar graves.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0PdWJNjHSR9ZfQYLx7LtJfDcqGdts5iDN6X7fYJiPTsv8q5mQv3RAHSAUmc27JZ5Jl&id=100027667927801

Wanderer78

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119646147#Comment_119646147

i seriously doubt theyre out in that!

spankmemunkey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119649318#Comment_119649318

They are out there, its well documented, and a great read, kilbarry was like a retirement site for retired knights

spankmemunkey

https://www.waterfordtreasures.com/news/crusades-conspiracies-and-coercion-the-knights-templar-in-waterford

friendlyfun

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119657242#Comment_119657242

Hopefully the information is correct!

spankmemunkey

Looks like there was a bit of work done on the site does anybody know who is responsible?

There was a flagpole erected inside the grounds with flag, that wouldn't be cheap by any means to put up, cost and labour for that would be well over the 1000 euro mark, and there are 2 new shields with painting and pictures on them with the knights on horse back.

delighted to see that

nomoedoe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119852131#Comment_119852131

A facebook group was set up and a committee has been cleaning it up and erected the flag and signage outside ,look it up on facebook and if you are interested why not join them i think they clean it up each week.

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086348457462

spankmemunkey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119852723#Comment_119852723

Brilliant

Yellow_Fern

The Knights of the Templars were a fascinating and a wonderful organisation that history treated so poorly. They have a strong connection to Waterford so it is great to see their link remembered.

spankmemunkey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119865005#Comment_119865005

I read up quite alot on The Knights of the Templars when i heard about the grave yard and its facinating, kilbarry was their home, they transported significant amounts of gold, and so on and their final resting place was in my opinion disrespected and left to ruin and be vandalised, priorities, again i suggest every whos interested get onto the heritage dept in the council they didnt really want to know.

wanderer 22

Lovely pics of the Kill St. Lawrence graveyard - Is this accessible to the public? On Google street view there doesn't seem to be any obvious entrance... thanks!

azimuth17

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119872429#Comment_119872429

In case of confusion, Kill ST Lawrence graveyard is on the Airport Road while the Templar's graveyard is opposite the old Glass Factory offices.

Yellow_Fern

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119872429#Comment_119872429

It is very overgrown. The best time to visit would be late winter when the briars would have fallen back the most. Bring thick clothing. The Knights preceptory of Templars at Killure, very close by is far easier to access.

wanderer 22

Thanks for that. I'm new to Waterford, is that near the nursing home there?

spankmemunkey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119878391#Comment_119878391

Which one are you asking about? The Knights of the Templars is located opposite fire station into the little industrial estate to the left keep left

azimuth17

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119878391#Comment_119878391

The Kill St Lawrence graveyard is on tehe right going out to the Airport just past the Outer Ring Road roundanout.

friendlyfun

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119881449#Comment_119881449

Pity the state of Kill St Lawrence Graveyard atm. That's one that could do with a clean up. Though there is a fairy tree in that area that people should be wary of!

Yellow_Fern

Fair play to Paddy Houlihan for organising the clean up of Kilbarry Church. The church structure is rather fragile. I hope a restoration could be organised to stabilise the structure. It would not require a huge amount of work to repoint it in lime. The Knockboy/Seskinan conservation project (that is Knockboy near Ballymacarbry) is a great example of volunteers doing an excellent restoration of a medieval church.

spankmemunkey

https://www.wlrfm.com/news/groups-across-waterford-encouraged-to-apply-for-community-monuments-fund-278675

This may be something to look at??

friendlyfun

Seems they've been putting up loads of signs around the graveyard. I also saw a Knights Templar flag as been put up. I'm not sure I feel about that to be honest. I'm in favour of cleaning the graveyard but drilling loads of signs into the walls is something irksome.

spankmemunkey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119951777#Comment_119951777

I know what you are saying but I do think it's the best way to get people's attention and highlight what's behind those walls, the wall itself wouldn't be an original boundary wall anyway so they didn't drill into say a headstone, The signs and flags won't be there forever but hopefully the site will, and I have heard many a people are saying wow I never knew that was in there and i think that was part of the problem to begin with.