Local tradition claims that a highwayman hid his treasure under a tree in the woods, and an oblique reference to this (or to a contemporary villain) is in The Midnight Court by Brian Merriman.
The outlaw is described as a cross between Ned Kelly and Robin Hood; the tradition maintains that he buried his takings under "a tree marked with the Ace of Spades".
The church has its original roof, constructed with Irish oak and with a set of carved misericords—one of the few remaining in Ireland dating from before the 16th century.
The area is predominantly native oak, with concentrated efforts made in recent years to cull introduced species (such as Spanish chestnut) from the wood.
The original management to convert the coppice would have involved cutting down the non-native trees once the oak were sizable and growing straight upwards.
This management was revealed by palynological study, and supported by a forester's handbook now in the keeping of the National Library of Ireland.