Kilmacduagh Monastery, County Galway, Republic of Ireland

Central church and round tower at Kilmacdaugh. Photo by Joshua Albers, May 26, 2013.

Monuments to death and the crumbling remains of former eras dominated our trip to Ireland, but no site better conjured the macabre than the monastic settlement of Kilmacduagh.

It was also one of the most difficult destinations to find (second only to the Reyfad rock art in Northern Ireland). After a number of misfires and a detour into Coole Nature Reserve, we finally rolled into the settlement's adjoining parking lot around dusk.

Located near the town of Gort, Kilmacduagh consists of several structures, including a well-preserved, slightly leaning round tower, an Abbott's House (Glebe), and multiple churches. It isn't possible to enter the tower, but getting into the Glebe and two of the churches only requires crossing the street and acquiring a key from the caretakers. But beware: they have a protective, bitey little dog, which Josh and his ankles discovered shortly after we rang their doorbell.

The site's most obvious draws are of course the 11th-12th century round tower, Glebe, and remodeled, pre-Norman "cathedral," all of which are grouped near the main road.

View from main road of round tower, "cathedral," and cemetery, Kilmacduagh.

Round tower with typical raised entrance (compare with the roughly contemporaneous sunken tower of Monasterboice, County Louth).

Relief detail from main "cathedral," Kilmacduagh.

Partially reconstructed Glebe (foreground); cathedral and round tower (background).

View from side road, showing (left to right): Glebe, secondary church (across main street), "cathedral," and round tower.

However, the most memorable building is only slightly farther afield and requires closer investigation. Found at the end of the short side road that divides the parking lot from the main site, this small, unassuming church is easily overlooked. Its central spaces—decorated with high, delicate carvings—are enterable with the key.

From the interior, this charming but modest space appears to be all there is. However, circumambulating the exterior reveals that many of the windows and doors have been filled with stone, permanently concealing large sections of the building.

   
Fortunately, we were not the first people to be curious about the sealed rooms, and those that came before had left us a little assistance. 

We were not disappointed by what we found.

Photos by Renée DeVoe Mertz, May 26, 2013, unless otherwise stated.

Coole Nature Reserve, County Galway, Republic of Ireland

All photos by Renée DeVoe Mertz, May 26, 2013.

Ross Errilly Friary, County Galway, Republic of Ireland

Ross Errilly Friary. Panorama by Joshua Albers, May 26, 2013. 

Ross Errilly Friary is probably the best preserved Franciscan monastery in Ireland; it is also one of the largest. Yet the site is curiously absent from many guidebooks and harder to find than more tourist-ready destinations. As a result, we found it gloriously uncrowded.

Founded in 1351, the monastery was enlarged in 1498 and ultimately abandoned in 1753. Now left largely unguarded, the remains sit beside a slim stream amongst sprawling cattle pastures.

The central cloister demarcates the boundaries of the more private spaces of the monks’ former living quarters from the church and bell tower. The domestic sections include a bakery, kitchen (complete with a water tank for live fish), dining hall, and, on the upper floors, dormitories. The presence of more recent graves throughout the building suggests that the entire structure is still on consecrated ground.



Photo by Joshua Albers, May 26, 2013. 

 Photo by Joshua Albers, May 26, 2013.

Photos by Renée DeVoe Mertz, unless otherwise stated. May 26, 2013.

Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery, Sligo, County Sligo, Republic of Ireland

Dolmen on the north side of Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery.

Although less well-known than Brú na Bóinne and the tombs of Knowth or Newgrange, Carrowmore is home to one of the largest Stone Age cemeteries in Europe. It was once the greatest collection of passage tombs and dolmens in Ireland, but quarrying has destroyed much of the original site and many of the 40 or so remaining tombs are on private land. Even so, a walk through rolling fields punctuated with megalithic graves is impressive, particularly when the weather cooperates. And, because it is less popular, visitors have much more freedom to wander and explore at Carrowmore than at Brú na Bóinne.

The site is divided by a small road, but both sides are accessible with the same ticket from the visitors' center. The north side also provides a clear view of the legendary tomb of Queen Maeve [Medbh or Medb], the enormous, unexcavated cairn which sits atop Knocknarea mountain about 2.5 miles west of Carrowmore.

Queen Maeve's tomb, Knocknarea.

All photos by Renée DeVoe Mertz, May 26, 2013.