Aghadoe Round Tower, Killarney, Co Kerry, Ireland
Romanesque doorway at Aghadoe church
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
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
Tawly Mass Rock and Bullaun Stone, Leitrim, Ireland
The Mass rock has an incised cross and ‘IHS’ inscription just visible below
Tawly 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
Kilfountan Cross Pillar, Co Kerry, Ireland
Corcomroe Abbey, Co Clare, Ireland
Founded for Cistercian monks around 1195
Askeaton Franciscan Friary,Co Limerick, Ireland
Friary founded in 1389 by Gerald Fitzmaurice Fitzgerald, 3th earl of Desmond or 1420 by James Fitzgerald Fitzgerald, 7th earl of Desmond
15 century cloister arcade
Askeaton Franciscan Friary’s impressive ruins