A Holly, Jolly Funeral: Jerpoint Abbey

December 19, 2009 — Below are some pics my wife and I took in 2008 on a visit to the ruins of Jerpoint Abbey in County Kilkenny, Ireland. Some say that St. Nicholas, the man who inspired the story of Santa Claus, is buried nearby. Others say it's a myth...like Santa Claus himself. Either way, I didn't find out about the possible Yuletide connection until, well, three days ago, so I didn't put his grave on the itinerary. We just generally wandered among the ruins like ghosts with no clue of its Christmas past. Read about the whole story and see the specific spot here. But, to sum up, Santa Claus is dead. I bring tidings of great joy. Merry Christmas.









Not Santa Claus.