Athassel Abbey Athassel Abbey is situated about three miles from the village of Golden and close to the Banks of the winding Suir. Long ago this abbey was a very famous place for monks and priests. It was built about five hundred years ago by the Normans. It was burned and then rebuilt again and a legend says that there is a passage under the bed of the Suir to the parish of Knockgraffon. A few hundred years ago there lived in the Abbey a tyrant called the Earl Ruadh this man according to the story refused to give a drink of water to a poor woman. This poor person cursed the Earl and it is said that he died of the thirst. One night suffering from a great thirst, when he had no wine he asked his servant to give him some drinking water from the river but when the servants went down toAnaithnidAnaithnid