Holycross village
	Holycross Abbey - Holycross is the name of the village that surrounds the abbey, as well as the abbey itself. The village is attractively sited on the river Suir. Holycross Abbey is an impressive restored Cistercian monastery, founded in 1180. It is purported to posses a fragment of the true cross. A lot of the original building remains, including the ruins of the cloisters. The monastic buildings are open to the public including the national Padre Pio pilgrimage centre. The Abbey is a place of daily worship. It serves as a diocesan sanctuary and centre of pastoral care and its church is now the parish church of Holycross village.
	Holycross is 3 miles from Thurles and 7 miles from Cashel, beside the river Suir. It makes an excellent base for day trips to other parts of the country with easy access to Dublin and Cork by car or train. Nearby are Cahir with its famous castle and Swiss cottage, the Mitchelstown caves, the river Shannon and Blarney.
	The village has two shops, where food, papers and fishing tackle can be purchased, a post office, local crafts and pubs.
	Golf is available from a number of excellent clubs situated around Thurles. The majority of clubs are open for day visitors where equipment can also be hired.
	Horse riding and lessons can be arranged locally from Holycross village. Details can be confirmed prior to booking.
	the nearest large towns aside from these are Tipperary, Clonmel and Kilkenny
	Shopping - Holycross village has local shops offering a variety of food, newspapers, petrol and fishing tackle and a post office. There are excellent pubs serving meals throughout the day. There is a regular bus service, taxis are easily available (approx £3.50 to Thurles) where there is a main line train station.
	a rare breeds farm is 5 minutes walk from the cottages. This has a wide variety of rare farm animals, bred and cared for by the Nolan family. The farm is an interesting visit for children and has tables for picnic outings.
	a wildlife reserve, known as the Cabra wetlands, has been established to observe the ducks and geese migrating to this area. approx 2 miles from the village, facilities for visitors include bird hides and a picnic area.
	(updated 15-Sep-02)