Spink
Spinc : A Pointed Rock


Spink is a rural townsland in the parish of Ballinakill, situated on the Abbeyleix - Carlow road. It is mainly an agricultural area with a population of circa 300. Cooper was a landlord in the area following the plantations of Laois & Offaly in the 16th century. This walk traverses the hills where his estate lay. There is a pleasant picnic area about a mile east of the start of the walk, situated by the main road.

• The walks starts from the carpark outside St.Lazarian’s Church.
• Guidance times are based on a steady pace with about half an hour for stops
• Dress appropriately - wear or carry warm and waterproof clothes
• Please observe the country code: close all gates and take litter home

St.Lazarian’s R.C. Church. Built during the period 1846-1849.The preferred site for the church was at Dinny’s Hill but the local Protestant landlords would not agree to the chapel being built there, consequently the present site was allowed because the land was of poorer quality. The church was built as funds were collected and was in use before it was finally roofed. A local story goes that a man called Har Duff walked around the wall plate during mass for a bet of one shilling - he must have had a good head for heights. The reason that the church is so high is that according to plans, a gallery was to be built; however after the Great Famine and the subsequent fall in population, the gallery never came to fruition.

The Grotto. The grotto of our Lady is situated in the grounds of St.Lazarian’s was built in 1951. Its foundation stone was brought from Lourdes. The grotto received national attention during the ‘moving statues’ phenomenon in 1986 with thousands of people visiting this spot.

Owenbeg River. Abhainn Beag - small river. You will cross tributaries of this river on six occasions during your walk. The Owenbeg rises in Bawnogue and flows to enter the River Nore at Attanagh.

Dysart Abbey. A congregation of monks lived here till the Cromwellian wars of the 1640’s when the church was plundered. The holywater font was moved in 1650 to its present location - see below.



The Wartstone. The Wartstone rag tree is situated at Dysart crossroads. At the foot of the tree is the stone basin, the holywater font from Dysart Abbey. The hollow in the Wartstone has never been known to go dry, no matter how long a dry spell. Its reputation for curing warts has been handed down through the generations. To avail of the cure; wash the wart thoroughly in the water with a piece of cloth, recite five ‘Our Fathers’, five ‘Hail Marys’ and five ‘Glory Be’s’ and then hang the piece of cloth on the adjoining whitethorn bush. It is said that as your rag disintegrates, so your warts disappear. The practice is very much alive to judge by the number of rags hanging from the bush.

Cooper’s Hill. The route over Cooper’s Hill on which you now travel was constructed under a relief scheme to provide local employment in the 1930’s. It was disused and completely overgrown by the early 1990’s and reopened in 1996 to facilitate this walking route.. From the viewing platform, one has a panoramic view encompassing six counties: Laois, Kilkenny, Carlow, Waterford, Kildare & Tipperary. Cooper was the landlord of the area and resided at ‘The Building’, Aghnacross.


Old Well. Note the old well with its clear springwater on your right just before you rejoin the tarmac road. This served the people who once lived in the old ruined house opposite. Before piped mains water became more common, a good local spring was often a deciding factor in locating a house.

Picnic Area. Situated at Larkin’s crossroads by the foot of Dinny’s Hill. This area was once a waste piece of land given over to dumping whence the Spink ICA Guild initiated a plan to convert it into this fine amenity area. A lot of voluntary effort was rewarded in 1990 with an Environmental Project award.