Kilcrue Cross, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland



Underexposed – an Irish Photoblog
Early Christian and Medieval Ireland, a selection of Christian sites – High Crosses, Carved Stones, Round Towers, Ancient Abbeys, Friaries and Churches. Also Castles
Kilcrue Cross, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland



Kilbroney Cross, Co Down, Ireland

Kilbroney Graveyard contains a number of interesting gravestones



Glencolmcille Turas Station 9 – Cloch an Aonaigh or the Stone of the Gathering. Co Donegal, Ireland.

Aghadoe Round Tower, Killarney, Co Kerry, Ireland


Romanesque doorway at Aghadoe church

Kilnaruane Pillar Stone, Bantry, Co Cork, Ireland

Overcast sky failed to highlight worn 9th century carvings


Dunnamaggan Cross, Co Kilkenny, Ireland

Perforated cross with top two perforations square and bottom two round



A figure has been carved into the shaft of the cross on both sides and crucifixion scene sits between the perforations

Tullaherin Monastic Site, Co Kilkenny, Ireland

Tullaherin Round Tower and Church


Tullaherin Round Tower

Tullaherin Ogham Stone

Stonecarthy (Stoneycarthy) Church, Co Kilkenny, Ireland

Stonecarthy Church and Graveyard


St Mary’s Church, Gowran, Co Kilkenny, Ireland
Dating from the late 13th century the medieval church was partly reconstructed in the early 19th century
Rossinver Old Church and Graveyard




Rossinver Graveyard – cup marked stone

Rossinver Graveyard – eroded cross-slab 2022 infrared

Rossinver Graveyard – eroded cross-slab in 2022 colour

The above photograph by ©Anthony Weir at http://www.irishmegaliths.org.uk/crosspillars2.htm from some years ago (1980’s?) shows how erosion is taking an irreversible effect on some of these carvings… would like to think I photographed the wrong stone but don’t think so

Clara Church, Co Kilkenny, Ireland

The ruin of Clara Church is a short distance from Clara Castle

Ullard Church, Co Kilkenny, Ireland

The 12th century church was built on the site of a 7th century monastery


Ullard Church – Romanesque Doorway

Ullard Church – Romanesque Doorway detail


9th century High Cross

At the back of the church a handball alley was build using the church wall

Ray High Cross

Ray High cross

Subcircular stone with perforation and two mill stones

Raymunterdoney (Ray) old church, Co Donegal, Ireland

Ray Standing Stone in the North East corner of the graveyard

Bullaun Stone in Ray Graveyard


Ray old church with bullaun stone forefront and standing stone background
Kill old church, graveyard, famine graveyard, and Penal Mass station, Dunfanaghy, Donegal

Clondahorky Old Church, Kill,Dunfanaghy

Stone inscription in the church

Kill graveyard gate

Kill graveyard

Iron Crosses in kill famine grave yard marks graves of drowned … a few stones for the famine victims belies the number of interred… hundreds possibly in the thousands. More info here
https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/40901521/kill-dunfanaghy-county-donegal
Gleninagh Medieval Church, the Burren, Co Clare

The enclosure contains numerous ancient graves marked with simple stones


Pinnacle Well, the Burren, Co Clare, Ireland

A housing was built over the well around 1860 giving it the appearance of a small church

Carron/Carran Church on the Burren, Co Clare, Ireland

The ruins of the 13th century Carron Church

Carved head on the north wall of Carron Church ruin

Moneylahan Cashel, Co Sligo, Ireland




All that remains of the walled enclosure



Tawley Mass Rock and Bullaun Stone, Leitrim, Ireland

The Mass rock has an incised cross and ‘IHS’ inscription just visible below


Tawley Bullaun Stone – both stones were found close by

Donaghmore Round Tower and Church, Co Meath, Ireland

Donaghmore 10th century Round Tower and 15th Century Church ruin

Donaghmore Round Tower stands 26 meters tall

The ruin of Donaghmore Church

Donaghmore Round Tower just off the N51 Navan to Slane Road

An original monastery here dates to St. Patrick who gave his disciple, St. Cassanus (Cassan) stewardship

St Tassach’s Church, Raholp, Co Down, Northern Ireland
The original church was founded by St. Patrick and his disciple St. Tassach was put in charge. The ruin here dates from the 10th or 11th century

Struell Wells, Downpatrick, Co Down, Northern Ireland

The church ruin

Inside the church

The Drinking Well beside the church ruin

The Men’s and Women’s Bath Houses

The Women’s Bath House in the foreground with the Men’s Bath House behind

The Eye Well at Struell Wells

The ‘mortuary house’ at Saul, Co. Down, Northern Ireland

A belief it was a 12th century shrine, for relics of St Patrick, St Brigid and St Columba seems unlikely as…

A Queen’s University archaeological investigation dates it as more likely late 16th century

Maghera Round Tower, Co Down, Northern Ireland

The remains of the round tower thought to date from the 10th century


Maghera Old Church ruin thought to date to 12th century

Carved altar stone in Craigagh Woods, Knockna-carry, Cushendun, Co Antrim

The altar with the carved stone

The stone depicts an angel above a crucified Christ

The stone is thought to come from one of the Scottish Islands

Mass is still said in June every year
On an island (now connected by a causeway) in Loughinisland Lake are the ruins of three churches dating from the 11th to 17th centuries

The North Church with burial vault in the foreground

The North Church

Another view of The North Church

The South Church aka MacCartan’s Chapel

Back of The South Church

The interior of The North Church

Latin inscription on stone set into south wall

Doorway of The South Church

Doorway of The North Church

The burial vault

Cong Abbey, Co Mayo, Ireland


St Mary of the Rosary Church

The Monk’s Fishing House

Arched doorway at Cong river

Grey Abbey, Greyabbey, Ards Peninsula, Co Down, Northern Ireland

Grey Abbey was founded as a Cistercian Abbey in 1193 by Affreca, wife of John de Courcy.



Templecronan / Temple Cronan, The Burren, Co Clare, Ireland

12 century church ruins probably built on the site of an earlier structure founded by St Cronan in the 7th Century

The tomb said to mark the burial place of St Cronan

The blocked original doorway

Kilgeever Christian Site near Croagh Patrick, Co Mayo, Ireland

St Patrick’s rock in the foreground at Kilgeever

The Mass rock with inscribed cross – St Patrick’s rock

Toberreendoney, The holy well around which pilgrims walk and pray

Cross inscribed pillar in Kileever graveyard
More info here https://pilgrimagemedievalireland.com/tag/kilgeever-abbey/

Derry Churches, Ards Peninsula, Co Down, Northern Ireland

The 1st photo is the north church, the smaller south church above and below

The site is associated with St. Cummain ( St. Cumman)

A small early cross inscribed stone stands in the north church

Kilulta Church, Co Limerick, Ireland

The ruins are said to be ‘oldest church in the county’, date unsure but given as 8th century (info from National Monuments Service) and ‘believed to be one of the oldest stone churches in Ireland’ (Wikipedia)

The name can be translated as Cill an Ultaigh, the church of the Ulsterman, or Cill Ultain, the church of St Ultain (info from Heritage Project, Diocese of Limerick )
Tobar na Molt / Wethers Well, Ardfert, Co Kerry, Ireland

St Brendan, the navigator, is said to have been baptised at the well in 484AD by Bishop Erc and fostered by St Ita for the early years of his life

Inside the pilgrims shelter / chapel

The altar with carved figures said to represent St Brendan, Bishop Erc and St Ida. The faces marked with the sign of the cross from countless pilgrims


Rattoo Round Tower, Co Kerry, Ireland

Rattoo Round Tower and church ruin

The round tower stands over 27 metres tall

Rathduff Ogham Stone, Dingle Peninsula, Kerry, Ireland

Askeaton Franciscan Friary, Co Limerick, Ireland

Askeaton Franciscan Friary

Fifteenth-century cloister arcade

Fifteenth-century cloister arcade


Galloon Graveyard, Co Fermanagh, Northern Ireland

Many of the gravestones are carved with reminders of our mortality – skull & crossbones, coffin, hourglass and bell

Galloon Graveyard carved gravestone

Colaiste Ide Ogham Stones, Dingle Peninsula, Co Kerry, Ireland

There are seven ogham stones in the grounds of Colaiste Ide/Burnham House gathered by Lord Ventry


In the background is the small Bullaun stone

Ardfert Cathedral, Co Kerry, Ireland

Ardfert Ecclesiastical Site

Ardfert Cathedral interior

Temple Na Hoe, Ardfert

Temple Na Hoe -the west face

The Romanesque west doorway of the Cathedral

Reask Cross Pillar

Three of the cross pillars at Reask

The small pillar to the south-east of the large pillar

The other small pillar east of the large pillar

Reask monastic site