Knocktopher (historically Knocktofer and Knocktover; ) is a village in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It is situated on the R713 road between the villages of Stoneyford to the north, and Ballyhale to the south. It was formerly situated on the N10 national route until being bypassed by the M9 motorway. It is also a civil parish in the eponymous barony of Knocktopher. The village has two pubs, two shops, a petrol station, a three star hotel, a restaurant and a glass gallery. Knocktopher is also one of 12 baronies in the county. History An ogham stone was erected about a mile south of Knocktopher in the medieval period: see Ballyboodan Ogham Stone. A mile to the west was Sheepstown Church. In 1312 it was listed as having four farmers holding between 5 and 74 acres of arable land, and 45 free tenants holding from as much as 2,520 acres of arable land all the way down to a one-house plot. Ninety-seven burgesses held 360 acres of arable land, and there was a settlement of betaghs farming 120 acres of arable land. Knocktopher was home to a monastery, built in 1356 by James Butler, 2nd Earl of Ormond for the Carmelite friars. Following the implementation in Ireland of the dissolution of the monasteries in 1542, it was acquired by the Kingsland branch of the Barnewall family, who later acquired the title Viscount Barnewall. Its only remains are part of a residence built upon the site. The Carmelites returned to Knocktopher in 1735, where they remain to this day. Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the Barony of Knocktopher was created. The first baron was said to be Griffin FitzWilliam, brother of Raymond le Gros known as Raymond FitzGerald. Gilbert fitz Griffin is cited as the 2nd Baron of Knocktopher and first owner of Knocktopher Manor. He died about 1203/4. In the early fourteenth century Knocktopher was owned by a certain Amicia and (successively) her two husbands, Nigel le Brun and Walter de Cusack; Nigel and Amicia had bought it from Sir Walter de la Haye, Justiciar of Ireland, in about 1310. By the 15th century the family of "Walsh of the Mountain" held half of the land in this barony. The lands are believed to have included the castles at Ballyhale, Ballynacooly, Ballynoony, Castlebanny, Castlegannon, Castlemorris, Clonassy, Cloone, Derrynahinch, Earlsrath, Inchacarran, Knockmoylan, Lismateige, and Manselscourt as well as civil parishes of Killahy,