Founded in the late 12th century, Jerpoint Abbey became an important Cistercian monastery in County Kilkenny. Its community followed a tradition of prayer, study, and work that spread throughout medieval Europe and took deep root in Ireland.

Jerpoint is especially celebrated for its extraordinary stone carvings. Figures of saints, knights, and other people adorn the tombs and cloister, offering glimpses of the faith, craftsmanship, and everyday world of medieval Ireland. The sculptured cloister arcade is among the abbey's most distinctive features.

The monastery was dissolved during the 16th century, but much of its church and cloister survives. Today, Jerpoint stands as a remarkable testament to the skill of medieval Irish craftsmen and the enduring imprint of monastic life on the Irish landscape.