
Carlingford Abbey (Dominican Friary), Co Louth, Ireland

Founded circa 1305 by the Dominican Order






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

Carlingford Abbey (Dominican Friary), Co Louth, Ireland

Founded circa 1305 by the Dominican Order






St. Brigid’s Well, Faughart, Co Louth, Ireland

St. Brigid’s Well

Rag Tree at St Brigid’s Well

By the shrine

The ruins of a medieval church

The grave of Edward Bruce, King of Ireland who was defeated and killed in the battle of Faughart 14th October 1318. (brother of Robert Bruce King of Scotland)

Some of the interesting headstones



Steps to St Brigid’s Shrine, Faughart, Co Louth, Ireland

1st February St Brigid’s feast day is also Imbolc a pagan festival marking the beginning of spring associated with the Irish Goddess Brigid. Some believe the date of Imbolc was more flexible and associated with the onset of the lambing season.

The Grotto
Some of the Stations positioned along St Brigid’s stream

Station 6 Cloch na Crúibe – The hoof stone

Station 7 Cloch na Glúine – The knee stone

Station 8 Cloch an Choim – The waist stone
Castledermot Round Tower and High Crosses, Co Kildare, Ireland

Castledermot Round Tower and Romanesque arch of earlier church (reconstructed)

South High Cross, West face

South High Cross, East face

North High Cross, East face

North High Cross, West face

Holed cross stone (the swearing stone) – very weathered

Viking Hog-back stone with weathered diamond pattern on one side and crosses on the other

Medieval millstone in the graveyard

Moone High Cross, Co Kildare, Ireland


The ruins of Moone Abbey

Crosses at Cross Abbey, Belmullet, Co Mayo, Ireland

The ruins of the old church

The graveyard with many unmarked stones

The closest pillar is a worn Ogham stone with faint traces of straight and slant scores on the natural-square edge


Timahoe Round Tower and church ruin, Co Laois, Ireland

St. Mochua, founded a monastery here in the 7th century

12th century round tower standing 30m high

Taghadoe Round Tower, Co Kildare, Ireland

Taghadoe: Teach Tua (the house of Tua). St. Tua, also called Ultan the silent founded a monastic settlement here in the the 6th Century


Old Dunfierth church and graveyard, Co Kildare, Ireland

Doorway of Dunfierth church which dates to 1500

South wall window

Crucifixion carving on back of vault

Carving on side of vault

Effigy of Knight in vault

St Mary’s Abbey, Duleek, Co Meath, Ireland


Parts of the ruin date from the 13th century


Bishop of Meath 1679-1688 effigy slab

17th century decorated tomb

15th century bell-tower

The tower shows an imprint of a round tower

The head and base of a 10th century High Cross (The south cross)

The north High Cross


Tullaghan High Cross (east face) in the village of Tullaghan, Co Leitrim, Ireland

The west face of the 9th-10th century medieval stone cross which was discovered on the shore of Donegal Bay in 1778 – it is thought to be part of a long lost monastery

Skreen/Skryne (from An Scrin – The Shrine) Church, Co Meath, Ireland

This is the ruin of the 15th century church built on the site of an earlier monastery.
In 875 the relics of St Colmcille were brought here for safe keeping but the shrine was robbed in 1027 (later recovered)

The church is the ruin that’s visible in the east from the Hill of Tara

Medieval cross with very weathered Crucifixion carving on its west face

South door with 14th century carving of a bishop

Detail of the worn carving

St Patrick’s Church, Cairncastle, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland

This Spanish Chestnut Tree, in the graveyard, is said to have sprouted from a chestnut that was in the pocket of a sailor who was washed overboard from the Spanish Armada and buried here.


Kilroot Bullaun Stone, Fort Rd, Kilroot, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland


Sligo Abbey (Dominican Friary), Sligo, Co. Sligo, Ireland

The Friary dates from around 1252





Castledermot Franciscan Friary, Co. Kildare, Ireland

Some parts of the friary date to around 1247. It was destroyed in 1317 by Edward the Bruce’s army but restored shortly afterwards

Bullaun stone in the friary




South Cross, Temple Dowling and Temple Hurpan, Clonmacnoise monastic settlement, Co Offaly, Ireland

Cross of the Scriptures (replica) and Cathedral, c.900, Clonmacnoise monastic settlement

Round Tower, Clonmacnoise monastic settlement

The North Cross (replica), Temple Connor, Romanesque church and round tower, Clonmacnoise monastic settlement

South Cross and Temple Dowling, Clonmacnoise monastic settlement

12th century Romanesque church and round tower, Clonmacnoise monastic settlement





Saints Dominic, Patrick and Francis above the north door of the cathedral

Kilmallock Collegiate Church ruins, Co. Limerick, Ireland


Roundstone Franciscan Monastery, Co. Galway, Ireland. The monastry was established in 1835

The tower, entrance gate and wall are all that remains of the monastery

Knockdrum Stone Fort, Co Cork, Ireland


The Pillar Stone at Knockdrum Stone Fort, Co Cork, Ireland

Fore Benadictine Priory Ruin

Benadictine Priory ruin at Fore monastic settlement, Co Westmeath, Ireland

St Finchin’s Church at Fore monastic settlement

St Finchin’s Church

Anchorite Tower and Church

Anchorite Tower and Church

St Finchin’s Church – holy font

Turlough Round Tower, Co. Mayo, Ireland


Legananny Standing Stone, Co Down, Northern Ireland. The pillar features an inscribed cross

The other side of Legananny Cross Inscribed Standing Stone

Legananny Standing Stone to the right of the split hawthorn tree

Dromiskin Round Tower, High Cross and church ruin, Co. Louth, Ireland

Dromiskin Round Tower

Dromiskin Round Tower and 10C High Cross

Dromiskin graveyard headstone – carved crucifixion figure

Drumena Stone Fort or Dun, Co Down, Northern Ireland


One of two entrances of the T-shaped souterrain inside Drumena cashel

Creevelea Abbey, Co. Leitrim, Ireland




Detail: small shrine at Creevelea Abbey with some offerings

Detail: small carved wooden cross at Creevelea Abbey

Mass Altar, Mellon’s Glen, Killeter, Co. Tyrone, Northern Ireland

Stone cross at the Mass Altar in Mellon’s Glen


The steps at Magherakeel graveyard near the ruins of St. Caireall’s Church

Celtic Cross Headstones at Magherakeel Graveyard

Magherakeel graveyard, Killeter, Co. Tyrone, Northern Ireland
Drumcliff: Round Tower, High Cross, St Columba’s church and WB Yeats grave

Drumcliff Round Tower, Co. Sligo, Ireland (10th-century)

There is a megalithic tomb a short distance from the round tower across the Drumcliff River called Coolbeg Wedge Tomb


East face of the 9th-10th-century high cross

West face of the 9th-10th-century high cross at Drumcliff

St Columba’s, Drumcliff – burial place of WB Yeats

Doors of St Columba’s Church emblazoned with bronze swans

The grave of WB Yeats at Drumcliff

The grave of William Butler Yeats with Benbulben Mountain in the background

Bronze and stone sculpture featuring the words of WB Yeats by sculptor Jackie McKenna.
Had I the heavens’ embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half-light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.
W B Yeats
Near the graveyard at St Columba’s, Drumcliff, Sligo, Ireland, the burial place of Yeats.

Hill of Slane, Slane, Co. Meath, Ireland


The ruins of the Franciscan Friary and College

The ruins of St Patrick’s Church

The Chilean pine tree in the graveyard



Two rough stone slabs thought to be the remains of St Erc’s tomb. Patrick appointed Erc as the first Bishop of Slane

Meelick Round Tower, Co Mayo, Ireland


The Round Tower at Monasterboice, Co Louth, Ireland

The Tall Cross or West Cross – The east face

The Tall Cross or West Cross – The west face

Muiredach’s High Cross – The east face and round tower

Muiredach’s High Cross – The east face

The North Cross – The east face with round tower

The North Cross – The east face and sundial

The North Cross – The west face

A late Romanesque door framing some of the six stone figures in the church ruin. White Island, Co Fermanagh, Northern Ireland

Two pagan statues in Caldragh graveyard on Boa Island on the north shore of Lower Lough Erne in Co Fermanagh, Northern Ireland

The 2 headed pagan statue in Caldragh graveyard


Devenish Island monastic site, Co Fermanagh, Northern Ireland


Devenish Round Tower stands 100ft tall

Carved 15th century cross


St Columba’s Church, (The Old Church Straid) Straid, Clonmany, Co Donegal, Ireland


The 4 meter High Cross, Culdaff, Inishowen, Co Donegal, Ireland

The ruins are of a 17 century church with a lintel from the earlier 12 century church

Clonca (Cloncha) High Cross


Glencolmcille, Co Donegal, Ireland – Turas station 2

East face of the Cross pillar at Glencolmcille – Turas station 2

West face of the Cross pillar at Glencolmcille, Co Donegal, Ireland – Turas station 2

Colmcille Turas Station 9

Cloch an Aonaigh or the Stone of the Gathering is a holed cross-pillar on a cairn in Glencolmcille – Turas Station 9

Colmcille Cross Pillar – Turas Station 13

Colmcille Cross Pillar – the decorated east side


One of two Carrowmore High Crosses, Culdaff, Inishowen, Co Donegal, Ireland

The other Carrowmore High Cross which is just across the road


Layd/Layde Holed-stone Cross, Cushendall, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland

