Assolas House is the oldest known and perhaps the most historic residence in Duhallow. It was the focal point in the Battle of Knocknanuss in November 1647. Prior to the reformation (1558), it is generally accepted that Assolas was occupied by a community of Catholic monks.
The present stone out-offices with the still visible castings of closed-up windows, all in an excellent state of preservation, bear ample testimony to its monastic nature. A unique feature of this building is the presence of a “Leper’s Peep”, still visible, and which lends much weight to the theory of its religious origins. It notable that the “Leper’s Peep” has been a source of much interest and controversy to historians during the past century.
