On a rather peaceful but chilly morning, we headed through the mist and along small bush lined roads to get to Clonmacnoise. One thing that baffles me about the route to Clonmacnoise is that tour buses can pass along these roads without getting into an accident… and dozens and dozens of them do it every day.
Our plan was to beat the tour buses, and it worked. We arrived as the facility opened and got in a good hour of wandering before the first 6 buses arrived and flooded the site with people.
The monastery was founded in 546 by Ciarán, son of the wright, at a strategic crossing point for many routes through Ireland. Because of its location, it became a central point in Ireland for religion and learning. This is thought to be the first centre of Christianity in Ireland.
Scholars from around the world would travel here to study… but it’s popularity and perceived wealth also attracted raiders and thieves who over time walked away with everything of value. By the 12th century, the site was in decline and mostly abandoned. The buildings in the photo gallery are from between 800-1200AD.
The oldest building is the Temple Ciarán, a sloping stone building (#12 in the gallery) that replaced the original wooden church built by Ciarán. It’s said that he is buried here but there’s no osteological or physical evidence to support this claim.
