Between the raw slopes of Benbeg (1788ft), in Joyce Country to the South, and the flank of the Partry Mountains to the North, is a lake of haunting beauty. In poor weather, when cloud and mist cloak the surrounding hills, Lough na Fooey is an...
The Augustinian priory of Kells – in full, Kells-in-Ossory (or Ceanannas Osraighe), to distinguish it from its more famous namesake in County Meath – was founded by Geoffrey FitzRobert in 1183, shortly after the Anglo-Norman invasion. It was to house the monks he brought to...
The charming village stands high above a neat little harbour, from which fishermen have gone out for centuries to the rich fishing grounds of Ballycotton Bay. The harbour is packed with trawlers and pleasure craft, and anglers can enjoy themselves with rod and line from...
The three graceful Gothic spires of Cork’s imposing and highly ornamented Church of Ireland cathedral are visible from all over the city. It stands very near the South channel of the River Lee, the site where, in about AD 600, Cork’s patron Saint, the scholarly,...
Overlooking the basin of the River Barrow and with fine views of the plain that stretches to Dublin are the vestiges of a monastery founded in the 5th century by St Patrick, the patron Saint of Ireland, credited with bringing Christianity to the Island. Like...
The most complete example of early Christian architecture to be found anywhere in Ireland is Gallarus Oratory, on a signposted site a mile inland from Smerwick Harbour. It has been dated to between 800 and 1200 and is a remarkable stone structure, shaped like an...
On this Island in Lough Ree, six churches make up the extensive remains of a monastery founded in the early 6th century by St Diarmuid. These include the Belfry Church, set on the highest point on the Island, an unusual Romanesque church with a square...
In the middle of Lough Derg is a solitary, uninhabited, 49 acre island whose atmosphere takes visitors back to the golden age of Irish Christianity. St Caimin founded a monastery here in the 7h century. It grew to be a large establishment, he well-preserved remains...
The stubby, crenelated tower of the 13th century St Lazerian Protestant Cathedral stands at Old Leighlin. And nearby is the site of a 7th century monastery and Lazerian’s Well – a place of pilgrimage that after 13 centuries still attracts offerings of medals, crucifixes and...
The impressive fortifications that crown Dunree Head are a reminder of the strategic importance of Lough Swilly. In 1800, when Ireland was faced with the Napoleonic threat, heavy guns where mounted on the bluff of rock that commands the entrance to the lough. Martello towers...