The grandest house the Carden family ever built stood here for barely sixty years before it burned. The Abbey, a neo-Gothic pile on the edge of Templemore, went up in flames during the War of Independence, and what’s left – roofless walls, pinnacles, a stable block – now sits on free public land beside a quiet lake in north-west County Tipperary. The real draw, though, is uphill: Carden’s Folly, a stone round tower on the slopes of Devil’s Bit, and the walk that climbs to it.
The Cardens and the Abbey
The Cardens were an Anglo-Irish family who arrived in the 17th century and bought up large tracts of land around Templemore and Barnane. They first held the Black Castle in what is now the town park; after a fire, they moved to a house called The Priory. By the 1780s Sir John Craven Carden had been made a baronet, and under the family’s hand Templemore was laid out as a planned town, with a wide market square and tree-lined streets.
In 1856 The Priory was pulled down and replaced by something far more ambitious: The Abbey, sixty rooms of Elizabethan plan and neo-Gothic detail, with battlements, turrets, polished oak and stained glass, set in formal gardens above the lake. Its end came quickly. During the War of Independence the house was occupied by Auxiliaries, and when they withdrew in 1921 it was burned to stop them coming back – local accounts differ on exactly who gave the order. Only the gate lodge, part of the stable block and the grounds survived.
Carden’s Folly and the cross
On the slopes of Devil’s Bit stands Carden’s Folly, a stone round tower built under John Rutter Carden in 1860 as a romantic nod to Ireland’s early monastic round towers, and a private vantage point over the family’s land. In 1954 a limestone cross was raised nearby and blessed by Archbishop Jeremiah Kinane during the Marian Year; a statue of the Virgin Mary was added later, and a small pilgrimage still comes up on the last Sunday of July.
The walk – and the view
If you do one thing here, walk up to the folly. The Carden’s Folly and Devil’s Bit Loop climbs steeply almost the whole way to the top, so it’s more of a workout than the gentle demesne setting suggests; the loop back down after the summit is easier going. From the high ground the view opens across several counties on a clear day. For a much longer outing, the Devil’s Bit, Kilduff and Carden’s Folly route stretches to around 23 km with real climbing, keeping you on the open ridges for hours.
Down on the flat, the demesne lake is the calm counterpoint – an artificial lake popular with local anglers, mirroring the woods and the ruins. The Abbey walls are worth ten minutes’ wander, but keep your distance: sections are unstable and there’s loose stone underfoot.
Getting there and practical info
- By car – Follow the N62 from Templemore; the demesne and the folly trailhead are signposted. There’s a small free car park at the start of the walk, and it can get busy.
- On foot from town – It’s a straightforward 2 km walk from Templemore town centre along the R433 to the demesne entrance.
- Facilities – None on site: no toilets, no shop, no café. The nearest are in Templemore. Bring water and something to eat.
- Dogs – Leashed dogs are fine on the paths. Watch the loose stone near the ruins.
- Underfoot – The paths turn muddy after rain and the folly climb is steep, so wear proper footwear.
Nearby
- Devil’s Bit – more walking routes and a well-known summit gap visible for miles.
- Cahir Castle – a well-preserved medieval fortress on the River Suir, a drive south.
Go in the early morning or the last hour of light, when it rakes across the limestone and throws the tower into silhouette against the mountain.