Historic Newport Sweat House to be preserved

Adopt a Monument Scheme

A centuries-old rare historical structure just over the Ballinahinch-Killoscully parish boundary near Toor has been chosen for benefit under the Irish Heritage Council’s Adopt a Monument Scheme to ensure its preservation into the decade ahead.

Killoscully Development Association’s made the application for support to restore and enhance for future generations of a ‘Sweat House’ in a wooded area at Doonane, located in the parish of Ballinahinch-Killoscully a short distance from Toor village.

The Sweat House at Doonane, and Glenkeen Church and graveyard near Borrisoleigh, are the only two local sites chosen among overall eight locations countrywide to benefit under the current year’s scheme.

Doonane Sweat House, hidden away in a forest close to a stream is one of the few remaining sweat houses in Co Tipperary and believed to be one of the best preserved in the country.

The Sweat House in Doonane is in a very vulnerable state after deteriorating rapidly over recent years. Killoscully Development Association will be assisted to work with Coillte (the landowners), to find out more about the site and conserve it so that it is safe for many years to come.

Sweat houses were a type of traditional sauna, and many date to the 17th-19th century. There is little known, from sparse historical records on the origin of the Sweat House at Doonane. There are no traceable records on its original construction or accounts of the frequency with which it was used over the centuries.

Its existence came into focus more than three and a half decades ago with the discovery nearby of a very well-preserved Mass Rock, believed to date back to the penal times, which extended roughly 1695 to 1776 with laws aimed to suppress Catholicism. These sites in remote locations were used by followers of the Catholic religion to assembly for the celebration of Mass.

Although heavily overgrown at the time of its discovery, tremendous local effort was engaged to clear the area and in September 1990 there was a large congregation present for the celebration of Mass at the site for the first time in centuries.

Chief celebrant was His Grace Most Rev Dr Dermot Clifford, Archbishop Cashel and Emly, assisted by ten priests from local parishes and visiting clergy from as far afield as the USA and Nigeria.

Following a call for applications in March 2025, a large number of community groups applied to adopt a monument in their locality. Eight sites were chosen following a selection process that also involved the National Monuments Service, the Heritage Council, The Discovery Programme, a community archaeologist, and Abarta Heritage.

Speaking about the sites chosen, Chief Executive of the Heritage Council, Virginia Teehan, said: “As custodians of our nation's heritage, we recognise that this scheme is not merely about safeguarding our historic monuments; it's about safeguarding our collective memory, our identity, and our stories, and the active involvement of local communities is paramount. We aim to empower these individuals, providing them with the resources and support they need to make a tangible difference.”

The existence of the Sweat House in close proximity to the large Mass Rock is particularly interesting and raises the question if there was a possible link. Because of the severity of penalty for those celebrating or attending Mass, maybe the sweat house was a possible decoy for any assembly of people in the area.