Mevagh Cross, Co Donegal, Ireland
Cup-marked stone that lies beside the church ruin
St Colmcille’s Abbey
St Colmcille’s Abbey, Gartan, Co Donegal, Ireland
The site is reputed to be the birthplace of St Colmcille
The remains of an ancient cross on a small mound
The remains of the other cross
The Holy Well at the entrance to the site
Old Conwal Graveyard
Old Conwal Graveyard, Co Donegal, Ireland
Decorated pillar
Crude figure on stone
Celtic cross and knot work on grave slab
Cross on large grave slab
Ray High Cross
Ray High Cross, Co Donegal, Ireland
aka St Colm Cille’s Cross
The Ruin of Ray Church
Ray Church, Co Donegal, Ireland
St Patrick’s Well – Tubberpatrick
St Patrick’s Well (Tubberpatrick), Portstewart, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland
St Deirbhile’s Church and Graveyard
St Deirbhile’s Church, Belmullet, Co Mayo, Ireland
Some of the crosses in St Deirbhile’s Graveyard
St Deirbhile’s Holy Well
St Deirbhile’s Holy Well, Belmullet, Co Mayo, Ireland
An annual pilgrimage takes place around 15th August
The story of St. Dairbhile goes something like this… born of a noble family of Meath she travelled to the Mullet peninsula to escape a noble suitor. However, she was followed, and gouged out her own eyes to make herself less attractive. When her horrified Prince left, she washed her eyes in the waters of a well that sprung from where they had fallen and her sight was restored.
Bective Abbey
Bective Abbey, Co Meath, Ireland
Bective Abbey was founded in 1147 for the Cistercians by Murchadh O’ Melaghin, King of Meath and was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin
The Cloister
Rosserk Abbey (Friary)
Rosserk Abbey (Friary), Killala, Co Mayo, Ireland
Founded around 1450 for the Friars of the Third Order Franciscans
Killala Round Tower
Killala Round Tower, Co Mayo, Ireland
12th century Round Tower – the original monastic settlement probably goes back to the 5th century when St Patrick appointed Muiredach as first bishop of Killala
Carlingford Abbey
Carlingford Abbey (Dominican Friary), Co Louth, Ireland
Founded circa 1305 by the Dominican Order
St Brigid’s Well and Faughart old graveyard
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
St Brigid’s Shrine
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
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
Moone High Cross, Co Kildare, Ireland
The ruins of Moone Abbey
Cross 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
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
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
Duleek Abbey and High Crosses
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
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 Church and Cross
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
Kilroot Bullaun Stone
Kilroot Bullaun Stone, Fort Rd, Kilroot, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland
Portglenone Graveyard
Graveyard at Portglenone forest, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland
Sligo Abbey
Sligo Abbey (Dominican Friary), Sligo, Co. Sligo, Ireland
The Friary dates from around 1252
Castledermot Friary
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
Dunteige Wedge Tomb
Dunteige Wedge Tomb – The Giants Grave Wedge Tomb, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland
The Mass Rock is an ancient cross incised stone where Catholic Mass was held during Penal Times. Dunteige Wedge Tomb in background
Kilmallock Collegiate Church
Kilmallock Collegiate Church ruins, Co. Limerick, Ireland
Roundstone Franciscan Monastery
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
Knockdrum Stone Fort, Co Cork, Ireland
The Pillar Stone at Knockdrum Stone Fort, Co Cork, Ireland
Fore monastic settlement
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
Turlough Round Tower, Co. Mayo, Ireland
Legananny Standing Stone
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
Ross Castle
Ross Castle, Co. Kerry, Ireland
Dromiskin Round Tower and High Cross
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
Creevelea Abbey
Creevelea Abbey, Co. Leitrim, Ireland
Detail: small shrine at Creevelea Abbey with some offerings
Detail: small carved wooden cross at Creevelea Abbey
Mass Altar at Mellon’s Glen
Mass Altar, Mellon’s Glen, Killeter, Co. Tyrone, Northern Ireland
Stone cross at the Mass Altar in Mellon’s Glen
Magherakeel Graveyard
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 (Drumcliffe)
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
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