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Inishbofin Early Christian Monastery

Brian — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 12:01:06 +0000

This ecclesiastical site near Athlone was founded in the mid fifth century by St. Rioch. Of all the original buildings, only the ruins of two churches still exist.
In the northern church, the nave, transept and sacristy survive. The sacristy was added onto the church, probably during the 15th century, along with the transept and a few sound examples of medieval windows. A primitive and irregular wall surrounds the ruins of this structure.
The church located to the south is of nave and chancel design and exhibits round and pointed doors and windows.
Inishbofin monastery was attacked repeatedly over the centuries by a variety of enemies, including the Vikings. Evidence of their raids in the 10th century was found here in the form of Viking bronze work from that time period.

An Dun Transport and Heritage Museum

Brian — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 11:55:56 +0000

The private collection of transport and heritage items housed here includes painstakingly refurbished farm implements such as corn harvesters, a Garvey Mill, and tractors and horse drawn equipment. Audiovisual aids elaborate on the exhibits.
Several unique motor vehicles can also be seen at An Dun museum, including a truck from the 1920s and several cars, bicycles, motorcycles with sidecars and other items, all immaculately restored and preserved.
An Dun is a name referring to Mound. Its original purpose was as a resting area for travelers heading to the monastery at nearby Clonmacnoise. The Mooney clan had roots in the area as far back as 150 A.D.

Ardcarn

Brian — Mon, 13 Nov 2006 10:35:53 +0000

During the 6th century, a monastery flourished at this site. Ardcarn was designated as a diocese in the province of Connaught in 1111. It was later combined with Roscommon, Elphin and Drumcliff to make up the diocese of Elphin at the synod of Kells in 1152. This diocesan makeup of the area exists to the present day.
Ardcarn served as a market centre of the sheep and wool trade for many years.
The parish church remains, as well as the surrounding area, which contains earthworks and the last vestiges of what was once a thriving medieval village.

Emlagh Cross

Brian — Mon, 13 Nov 2006 10:34:48 +0000

Many centuries ago, a monastic settlement was located at Emlagh, although there is no written mention of it and no visible ruins remain. That is, except for the pieces of two different high crosses standing at this site.
Located in the centre of a field upon a stone pedestal are the head of one cross as well as its shaft, inscribed with the delicate Celtic carvings of ages past. The fragments of another cross that once shared the pedestal can also be seen.

Durrow High Cross

Brian — Fri, 13 Oct 2006 10:06:30 +0000

In Ireland, High Crosses began as a form of artistic worship that became popular in the early years of Irish Christianity, carrying onward into medieval times where they were often placed at monasteries. The early styles were made with geometric patterns, which later evolved into Biblical scenes that were created on each side, or ‘face’ of the cross, in an effort to teach parishioners the stories of the Bible. High crosses were often commissioned by local parishioners and viewed as symbols of wealth and status.
The High Cross at Durrow was part of a monastery founded by St. Columba in 553 with aid from Aedh, the son of Prince Brendan. It, along with a holy well, is all that remains of this early Christian settlement.
The cross is estimated to date back to the ninth century. Its four faces are embellished as follows:
First face – depictions of Christ and David slaying a lion, the resurrection, and Abraham sacrificing his son Isaac.
Second face – the Crucifixion, and the tomb of Jesus surrounded by guards.
Third face – Adam and Eve and their son Cain slaying Abel
Fourth face – Zacharius, Elizabeth and John the Baptist.
Other religious relics found at this site and now located in Dublin are the Book of Durrow from 700 A D, housed at Trinity College, and the Crozier of Durrow located at the National Museum.

Abbeylara

Brian — Sat, 07 Oct 2006 11:50:58 +0000

The word Abbeylara means abbey of the ‘little rath’. Its monastic buildings were completed in 1214 with the support of the Tuite family. Sir Richard Tuite was buried at the site.
Many stone circles were erected in the area, two of which remain and are in good condition. They are survivors from the Bronze Age and serve as a testament to those who regarded the sun as a supremely important part of everyday life.

Abbeyshrule Cistercian Abbey

Brian — Sat, 07 Oct 2006 11:47:43 +0000

The ruins of the Cistercian Abbey at Abbeyshrule were once part of a much larger community of buildings, not visible today except for the outline stones of quite a few foundations. This was the first Cistercian site in Longford County, and the fifth in the country following the first very successful settlement at Mellifont.
The Abbeyshrule monastery was funded by the O’Farrell family, and the site is scenically located along the River Inny, just east of Ballymahon. The name comes from the English word “abbey” and the Irish word sruth, which means “river,” because of its close proximity to the river. The graveyard adjoining the abbey contains the remains of a large number of ancestors of today’s southern County Longford families. It also contains the shaft of the only high cross discovered in County Longford.
Monks carrying the traditions of the Cistercian order first came to Ireland at the request of St. Malachy of Armagh in 1140 A.D. He discovered the order in other parts of Europe while making a pilgrimage to Rome.
Upon their arrival in Longford County, the Cistercians recruited local people to become monks and help build and run the community. The Cistercians conducted free schools, and taught the locals more advanced methods of agriculture. They also built corn mills on the river, and some of them can still be seen at Abbeyshrule, which later became one of the principal centres in Ireland for this activity.
The abbey was one of the largest in the area, rectangular with a square tower, and a unique spiral staircase near the cloisters. It contained many cells along with a chapel, sacristy, pantry refectory and kitchen.
The nearby river was used for transportation and communications, as there were few roads in those days. It functioned until the Tudor Era, when it was closed during the suppression ordered by Queen Elizabeth I.
After the closure, control of the property was given to Robert Dillon, Earl of Roscommon.
Today, in addition to the site of the abbey, the Abbeyshrule region is also home to the county’s only airfield, where flight lessons are given and a yearly festival is held for flight enthusiasts. The area also offers excellent angling opportunities in the rivers and Royal Canal, where roach, pike, bream, perch and trout are plentiful.

Edgeworthstown House

Brian — Sat, 07 Oct 2006 11:44:22 +0000

Part of the original Edgeworthstown Estate, the original manor house was built in 1672 by Richard Edgeworth. It was a modest building with tiny windows.
In the 1770’s Richard Lovell Edgeworth enlarged and remodeled the house. He made the bigger rooms brighter by adding additional windows, and made use of more novel building techniques to create curved walls, curved rows of columns and an oval shaped hall.
The estate during that period is described as cheerful and attractive, with lush grounds accented by trees, shrubs, flowers and garden paths.
Richard Edgeworth was a gifted inventor. He created some useful items that made the home more comfortable, including a central heating system, a series of leather straps that kept outer doors from banging shut, and a farmyard water pump that carried water into the house. It was powered by a handle often turned by beggars, who automatically received coins after they worked it for a specific amount of time.
Edgeworthstown House remained in the family until 1876, when it was sold by C.F. Montague to a Mr. Noonan. He gave the house, already separated from much of the property of the original estate, to the Sisters of Mercy. They converted it into a nursing home, which it remains to this day.
Maria Edgeworth, daughter of Richard the inventor, was a famous Irish writer. Born in 1768, she was about fifteen years old when the family moved in, and loved the house dearly.
Maria chose to spend as much time as possible at home, even after she became an adult. Many of her books were written here, including Castle Rackrent, Tales of Fashionable Life, Patronage and Ormond.
Maria was well known in the literary arena, and at her house entertained such notables as Sir Walter Scott and William Wordsworth. The house was described as a warm and friendly residence filled with books, maps, family treasures, pictures and mementoes of the travels of the other Edgeworths.
Maria Edgeworth died in 1849 and was buried in the ancestral churchyard at Edgeworthstown.

Fenagh Abbey

Brian — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 14:50:45 +0000

The tiny village of Fenagh is also the site of one of the oldest monastic communities in Ireland. St. Caillan founded the monastery here in the fifth century. According to the Book of Fenagh, he came from Dunmore in County Galway. The O’Rourke family gave him the land for the monastery. The Journals of the Four Masters indicate that Fenagh Abbey was once the site of a divinity school that was famous across the whole of Europe. The site is now occupied by the ruins of a church from the late medieval period.
The Book of Fenagh tells the story of Caillin, and was commissioned by the coarab of the monastery in 1516. It was written in Irish by a man named O’Maolchonaire and is now housed at the Royal Irish Academy in Dublin. English translations were published in 1875 and 1939. It recounts the events surrounding the Irish chieftains and their relationship with Caillin. They provided material provisions in return for Caillin’s spiritual intercessions, which insured the continued health and prosperity of their tribes.

Castledermot Round Tower, Crosses and Church

Brian — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 14:19:45 +0000

The Castledermot monastic settlement was established by St. Dermot and recorded as the target of extensive Viking raids in 841 and 867. The monastic community itself ceased to exist sometime after 1073.
The site at Castledermot today offers visitors the chance to observe the following sites of archaeological interest:
•The church, which features a reconstructed Romanesque doorway rising dramatically from the ruins.
•The North Cross, whose panels contain legible depictions of life scenes of religious figures such as King David, Isaac, and Jesus as he performed various miracles.
•The South Cross, with two of its panels clearly showing biblical scenes such as Christ being arrested, Daniel in the Lion’s Den, and Adam and Eve.
At the very edge of Castledermot stand the ruins of a Franciscan Friary estimated to have been founded in 1302 by Thomas, Lord of Ossong. The original building was long and rectangular in shape, with lancet windows and a tower. Additions were made to the building at later points in history.
An interesting note – local history records that when one of the walls of the abandoned friary collapsed years ago, a hollow area was revealed that contained a number of human skeletons.