Killagha Abbey

Killagha or Kilcolman Abbey

The remaining ruins of Killagha Abbey
Monastery information
Order	Augustinians
Established	c.1216
Disestablished	1576
Diocese	Diocese of Ardfert
People
Founder(s)	Geoffrey de Marisco
Important associated figures	Saint Colman Walter Spring
Site
Location	Milltown, County Kerry, Ireland

Killagha Abbey of Our Lady of Bello Loco, also called Kilcolman Abbey, is a ruined Augustinian abbey and former manor house in County Kerry, Ireland. The abbey is situated one and a half miles north-west of Milltown on the banks of the River Maine.

The abbey was founded in circa 1216 on the site of an earlier monastery, which had been erected by Saint Colman. This earlier foundation gave rise to the abbey sometimes being called Kilcolman, meaning Church of Colman. The abbey was established by Geoffrey de Marisco, Justicier of Ireland, an Anglo-Norman nobleman who had received large grants of land in Munster from John, King of England. The abbey, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, was occupied by Canons Regular of the Order of St Augustine until its suppression in 1576 during the Reformation in Ireland. It was a very wealthy institution, owning large amounts of land across Munster, and the Prior of Killagha was a member of the Irish House of Lords. It paid the third highest rate of tax in the Diocese of Ardfert in 1302. The large east window was added in the 15th century. Killagha was a notable destination for pilgrims, and it became well known for its beautiful setting, hence the name 'Bello Loco'. Its distance from Dublin meant that it was dissolved later than most abbeys in Ireland. However, its proximity to the fortress at Castlemaine during the Desmond Rebellions brought it to the attention of The Crown, which gave orders for the establishment to be closed.