Located in south County Kildare, Castledermot is a village with two excellent historical sites to visit. The first we will look at is Castledermot Round Tower and Crosses. Originally this site was a hermitage founded by St. Diarmaid in 812 AD. Unlike the more usual hermitages like Skellig Michael, St. Diarmaid's positioning of his hermitage at Castledermot is an unusual one. This area was well populated at the time, being located in the rich fertile landscape of the Barrow Valley. So why build a hermitage away from isolation? Diarmaid was a key figure in the new monastic Céile Dé or Culdee movement, rather than solitary hermits they wanted their pious, ascetic and abstemious life to be witnessed by the general population so that people might begin to reflect on their materialistic ways.

From small beginnings his hermitage grew into a monastic settlement known as Diseart Diarmada. It was twice raided by the Vikings in 841 and 867 AD, and the annals report it being the scene of violence and raids throughout the eleventh century as various Irish rulers vied for power in this region.

This site is a must-see for any fans of history, archaeology and those who love to explore old graveyards. A number of outstanding features make it one of the most rewarding places to visit in the region. The two high crosses are some of the finest examples of their type. Carved from granite and dating to around the 9th Century, the South Cross (pictured above) is unusual in having biblical scenes on its western face (the side visible in this photograph) and geometric designs on the eastern side. If you look to the left of the cross in the top picture you can also see an early medieval millstone embedded into the ground.

The North Cross pictured to the right, features a number of biblical depictions. Adam and Eve are at the centre of the cross, with a wonderful image of David sitting and playing the harp on the left arm. The right arm of the cross illustrates Abraham and the sacrifice of Isaac. The shaft shows Daniel in the lions den at the top, then two more depictions below, I am afraid I'm not quite sure what they are! The base is covered with beautiful curving spirals.  

As well as being striking markers of Christianity on the landscape, High Crosses were also a method of telling the stories of the bible visually to the largely illiterate population at the time.

The Round Tower at the site (pictured to the left) is quite a small example of an Irish Round Tower, standing at only 20 metres high. The masonry of the tower is constructed of rough uncoursed granite.

One of the more unusual features at Castledermot can be found just in front of the South Cross. This is known as a 'hogback' grave (see picture below), and is the only hogback grave in Ireland. This type of burial marker is generally more commonly found in areas like Northumberland. It is associated with the Vikings, particularly around the time of transition between traditional Viking paganism and Christianity between 800–1000 AD. That this typically Viking grave marker is here at Castledermot is something of an enigma, the Vikings wouldn't have been overly popular here as Castledermot was twice raided by the Vikings in 841 and 867 AD. Perhaps the grave marks the burial place of a wealthy Viking trader, a Hiberno–Norse Lord or noble, or even perhaps an Irish noble who was enamoured with the Viking culture.





The grave itself is interesting in that it has typical Norse carvings on it (very difficult to make out today unfortunately, but if you look carefully you can just see faint outlines of large diamond shapes under the white lichen) some of these designs have their roots in Norse paganism, but it is buried in a Christian burial ground. Whoever was buried here was certainly hedging their bets for the afterlife!





The second site at Castledermot is Castledermot Friary and it too is a fantastic place to visit, and like Castledermot Round Tower and Crosses, and in fact all the places we feature on this blog, it is free to enter. We will feature the Friary in a blog post next week.

We hope you are enjoying this blog and that it is helping you to discover some of the superb heritage sites to visit that are a little off the beaten track. Please feel free to leave comments and suggestions, is there a particular site or place that you think we should feature? Do you have any tips about great heritage trails? We'd love to hear them. Leave a comment below or send us a mail at info@abartaaudioguides.com

If you would like to know more about Irish history then try out our audioguides available for just €1.99 from our website www.abartaaudioguides.com  packed with original music and sound effects they are a fun and interesting way of immersing yourself in the sensational story of Ireland.

'Baginbun – where Ireland was both lost and won'

In a little departure from our usual historical sites, this tranquil looking beach is Baginbun, the scene of epic high drama in 1170 AD. While the first Anglo-Norman invasion landed at Bannow Bay in 1169, the second wave landed here at Baginbun just south of the Hook Head Peninsula in Co. Wexford in early May 1170. The invasion consisted of just around 80 men, but they were led by Raymond le Gros, a man with great military skill and cunning. Raymond had chosen Baginbun as he knew that there was an ancient Irish promontory fort that could serve well as a temporary defensive camp before he moved on to attack nearby Waterford.

Raymond knew that Waterford would be well defended and he also needed supplies for the invasion, so he decided to coax the Waterford men out to fight on his terms. He had his men raid the surrounding countryside for cattle, they drove the massive herd back to the ancient promontory fort where the Normans had established their camp. This enraged the Waterford men, and they quickly gathered their forces to attack.

It is estimated that between 1000–3000 Waterford men marched to Baginbun to kick these cheeky invaders back into the sea, and when they saw the tiny size of the Norman force they must have felt confident of victory. However they reckoned without the cunning of Raymond le Gros, he ordered his small force to attack the large army of Waterford, and then he ordered them to quickly retreat, feigning panic. The Waterford men were jubilant at the site of the fleeing Normans and charged after them along the narrow promontory. When they were committed to the narrow pass Raymond had the massive herd of cattle stampede into the ranks of the onrushing Waterford men, scattering them and causing panic and devastation to their ranks. His men followed hot on the hooves on the cattle, cutting down the now panicked Waterford force in droves. They captured a large number of men, Raymond had hoped to use them as bargaining chips to gain ransoms from Irish chieftains but he was to be disappointed. It was recorded by the Norman Chronicler Gerald of Wales, that a fearsome female Welsh warrior, Alice of Abergavenny, was enraged by her husbands death on the battlefield, she took an axe and beheaded seventy of the Waterford men in revenge for her husband, and threw their bodies off a cliff.

The bloody scene was set for the Norman assault on Waterford. It just goes to show that even a tranquil a spot as Baginbun can often have a dark story to tell.

Baginbun is located at the very southern tip of the Hook Head peninsula. It is about 2kms south of Fethard on Sea on the R734. The promontory has restricted access but the beach is open to the public. If you are in the area, why not visit the Bishops Palace in Fethard on Sea. This is located on the outskirts of the village, and dates to the fourteenth century. There is an earlier motte (a type of Anglo Norman fortification) located behind the palace.

Murrisk Friary is beautifully situated beneath Croagh Patrick, on the southern shores of Clew Bay in Co. Mayo. Today the Friary stands in ruin and a modern graveyard has developed around it. The Friary is thought to have been founded in 1456 and was handed over to the Augustinian Friars. According to historical sources, Hugh O’ Malley (a Sligo friar) built a monastery on land granted to him by the powerful O’Malley family. The O’ Malleys were important land owners in this part of Mayo, and the famous Pirate Queen Gráinne Mhaol (Grace O'Malley) was one of their more illustrious descendants.

It is thought that the lands were leased in 1578, during the reign of Elizabeth I, to James Garvey. We do not know if the monks remained at Murrisk after this time, however, it is likely that they retained a presence at the friary. A foundation like Murrisk, which, was in an isolated location, away from the eyes of government, may well have escaped the full effects of the Dissolution of the Monasteries during the Reformation. 

The Friary also appears in a poem by a Fr. William Bourke in 1730 which describes “lovely Murrisk, so tranquil and mild …” 
[see the bottom of this article for the full poem].

The East Window

Murrisk next appears when the Archbishop of Tuam notes that there was one Friar living in Murrisk in 1801. It seems that the site was abandoned by the mid-nineteenth century and is today maintained by the Office of Public Works.

The main part of the visible remains today appear to date to the fifteenth century. You can see the remains of the church, with some domestic buildings to the north giving the site a distinctive 'L' shape. One of the notable features of the site is the east window, beautifully sculpted in the flamboyant Irish Gothic style. 

The crenellations or battlements, crowning the building are thought to be of a later date. There are carved faces on the southern and eastern walls of the friary. It is unknown who these faces represent, but it was quite common in the medieval period to display depictions of wealthy patrons of the church on the walls of the building. The domestic buildings of the monastery would have been situated around the simple church at right angles to it. The remains of the sacristy and the chapter house are all that survives of these buildings today. The chapter house was one of the most important structures in the Friary as it was the place where the monks met to discuss the day to day running of the abbey and where the Rules of the Order were read to the community of monks working, living and praying in the Friary. There are no above ground traces of other domestic buildings associated with medieval religious houses such as the Refectory (kitchen) or the Dormitories where the monks would have slept. 

Early medieval shrines like Shrine of St. Patrick's Tooth and the Black Bell of St. Patrick may have been stored and venerated at the friary at Murrisk as it is a stopping point on the pilgrimage up the holy mountain. Indeed Murrisk Friary itself was dedicated to St. Patrick shortly after its foundation. The Viscount Mayo Chalice is also associated with Murrisk as the inscription incised into the 17th century chalice reads: “Pray for the souls of Theobald, Lord Viscount Mayo, and his wife, Maud O’ Connor, who caused me to be made for the monastery of Murrisk, 1635” It is thought that this chalice continued to be used until the 18th century. 

The site at Murrisk is a very interesting example of a later medieval religious house. The site is made even more spectacular by its incredible setting at the foot of Croagh Patrick – the Holy Mountain of Ireland – and on the shores of Clew Bay. It is well worth a visit if you are over in the west. To get to Murrisk, make your way west from Westport towards Lecanvey and Louisburgh. The site is located down a narrow lane to the right of the main road, on the opposite side of the car park for Croagh Patrick, close to The National Famine Monument. 


The Friar’s Farewell to Murrisk,
Fr. William Bourke, 1730.

Farewell to you lovely Murrisk,
So tranquil and mild,
And to the fine lordly mountains,
That rise up on all sides,
As I walked on the strand there,
The curlew’s refrain,
Was sweeter than all the music,
On this side of the plain.

I promised to obey,
The friars placed over me,
And to submit my desires,
To those of the community,
This is what has left me,
Condemned here to long craving,
For I would never have left Murrisk,
And its beautiful havens.

If I can hold out,
Until the cuckoo’s call beguiles,
I will then go to Murrisk,
And rest there a while.
The folk here are not,
The pleasant wise company I knew,
But are like idols of oak,
With an axe rough hewn.

From: The Story of Mayo. 2003. Mayo County Council. 

This imposing fortress probably dates to the thirteenth century judging from architectural features like the trefoil-pointed windows, but Clonmore doesn’t appear in any documentary sources until the fourteenth century when it was repaired by Sir Anthony de Lucy in 1332.

In the fifteenth century Clonmore was granted to the powerful Earl of Ormonde. The castle has been attacked on a number of occasions. It was seized by the Earl of Kildare in 1516, then captured again by the Earl of Ormonde in 1598. During the Confederate Wars in Ireland during the middle part of the seventeenth century, Clonmore was captured and recaptured numerous times before finally being taken by Cromwell's army in 1650.

Clonmore was once a large square enclosure with defensive towers at each corner and a range of buildings along its eastern side. The solar block is four stories high, and the halls have two stories.

The remains of the buildings on the eastern side are a little tricky to work out when you are  at the castle, as the site is in such ruinous condition, but archaeologist David Sweetman in his book ‘The Medieval Castles of Ireland’ (2005) suggests that the buildings relate to three phases in the castles history, with two rectangular halls and the southern end used as the main living quarters.

The castle is a great (if a little mucky) place to explore, with many early features like the windows, staircases and passageways. However the building is in a very ruinous state, and overgrown in places so do wear appropriate footwear and exercise caution if you visit. The castle is on a farm, please make every effort to ask permission from the landowner if you wish to enter the site (particularly if livestock are in the field).

 
 You can’t miss the castle that is just outside of the village of Clonmore, see our map page for the exact location. In the village you will also find one of Carlow’s most important early medieval monastic sites. I’ll feature that in a forthcoming blog post.

 









Like exploring off the beaten track? We now have an audioguide to The Rock of Dunamase available completely free from our website www.abartaaudioguides.com. Simply download to your computer before transferring to a smartphone or mp3 to enjoy the story of this incredible and iconic site, enjoyable whether you are at Dunamase or sitting in your favourite armchair at home.
All photographs © Neil Jackman / abartaaudioguides.com

As last Monday was such a beautiful clear day we took a trip out to see Fore Abbey. Located in the small village of Fore in rural Westmeath, Fore Abbey is one of the true wonders of Hidden Ireland, a site that should be on every must-see list for those interested in Irish history and archaeology.

Interior of the 10/11th Century St. Féichín's Church

The site was founded by St. Féichín in around AD 630, and the small monastic site quickly grew in size and importance, and received many mentions in the Annals of Ireland. Although there are no visible remains of this initial seventh century monastery (indeed the exact location of the earliest foundation has still not been conclusively proven) there is still a fine 10–11th Century church located on the slopes directly above the main part of Fore Abbey. This is St. Féichín's Church, the main part probably dates to the 10th Century, with a later chancel added in the 13th Century to extend the church. In the background of the photo above you can make out the huge lintel above the doorway, said to be one of the Seven Wonders of Fore (see below).

Most of structures forming the main part of Fore Abbey date to the period following the Norman invasion of Ireland. Hugh De Lacey ruled the Lordship of Meath (roughly speaking it incorporated today's Meath and Westmeath) from his fortress at Trim Castle. De Lacey would have appreciated the value of the monastery and the population growing around it. He had a priory established in around 1180 and gave the site to the Benedictine Order.

The Benedictine movement was extremely popular across the Continent, but there were not many Benedictine monasteries established in Ireland, and I can't think of another example as well preserved as Fore. It was constructed around a central cloister (a beautiful courtyard), with a church to the north, the dormitory for the monks to the east, the refectory to the south with its adjacent kitchen to the south-west.  

The cloister area

By the fifteenth century Fore Abbey had become vulnerable to attack by the Gaelic chieftains as it was located outside of the area of The Pale. It was attacked in 1423 and 1428, and remained vulnerable enough that there were gates and walls built to surround the monastic settlement. I didn't see any remains of the walls, but two stone gates can still be seen near the site.

Despite these raids Fore Abbey was still a wealthy place and new towers and a revamped cloister area was added in the fifteenth century.








Fore is also known for the Seven Wonders of Fore. These are:
The Anchorite in a stone
The water that will not boil
The monastery built on a bog
The mill without a millstream
The water that flows uphill
The tree which will not burn
The stone lintel raised by the saints prayers

Fore Abbey is a wonderful place, the area is steeped in history and stunning ruins that you can easily spend an afternoon wandering around, especially if you are lucky enough to be there on a fine day too. The site is well signposted (see our map for its exact location) and provisioned with a large carpark, I highly recommend a visit!

I really hope that you enjoy our blog, if you like any of our images you might be interested to learn that you can now purchase prints from http://www.12greengiraffes.com/, take a look around the site to see what we have available and to see some sensational images of Connemara by the talented photographer Muireann Ní Cheallacháin, if there is an image from our blog that you'd like as a print please let me know by leaving a comment.

Is there a historical or cultural site in your area that you'd like us to cover? Or perhaps you might like to contribute a site to our blog? I'd love to hear from you, please send me a message at info@abartaaudioguides.com

Hore Abbey (also known as St. Mary's Abbey of the Rock) sits both literally and figuratively in the shadow of the mighty Rock of Cashel in County Tipperary. Although the Rock of Cashel is one of the most visited heritage sites in Ireland, very few spend the extra time on a short walk to visit the wonderful Abbey below.

The name Hore Abbey has a number of possible derivations - the first is that the name 'Hore' comes from 'iubhair' Gaelic for Yew Tree. Another theory suggests that the name refers to the dull grey coloured tunics that the monks wore.

Hore Abbey is a Cistercian monastery, and most of the visible remains date to the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. You can still see the well preserved remains of a refectory, a large church with nave, chancel, and transepts all in good condition. Each of the transepts has a small chapel, and you can see the remains of an archbishops tomb just north of the chancel.

The cloisters are in a very unusual position, usually the cloister is always positioned to the south of the church - however at Hore Abbey they are positioned to the north. Possibly because the Rock of Cashel is so prominent to the north, they wanted to maximise its impact.

 Local legend has it that the Abbey was given to the Cistercian order in 1270 AD, as the Archbishop of Cashel, MacCearbhaill, had a dream that the Benedictines [who were the original owners of the site] were plotting against him. He drove the Benedictines from Cashel, and invited the Cistercians to take their place.

The last Abbot of Hore Abbey was Patrick Stackpole, he had held the position for several decades, but peacefully surrendered the Abbey to the Crown Forces during the Dissolution of the Monasteries in circa 1540. The lands were granted to the powerful Butler Family, and were eventually transferred again by Queen Elizabeth Ist to Sir Henry Radcliffe, Earl of Sussex.


If you are visiting the wonderful Rock of Cashel, do allow an extra little bit of time to view the wonderful remains of Hore Abbey, as an extra incentive you also get a great view of the Rock from there!

If anyone would like to learn more about the history and legends of the Rock of Cashel and Hore Abbey you can download our audioguide from www.abartaaudioguides.com

Athassel Abbey is located close to the village of Golden in Co. Tipperary and is a fantastic example of an Augustianian Priory. Indeed Athassel Abbey was once an important urban centre in medieval Ireland. It is said that there were over two thousand people living in a settlement around the Abbey, but today the ruins of the abbey slumber beside the meandering River Suir, with no visible traces of the vibrant settlement that once surrounded it.

This Abbey site was founded in around 1200AD by a prominent Anglo Norman named William Fitz Aldhelm de Burgo. He was granted extensive land in Tipperary and decided to give some of that land to the church to create a bastion of Anglo Norman worship in the Irish Landscape. It is likely that William de Burgo himself lived quite close to the site where the abbey was to be built, the remains of a motte stand across the river from the abbey. Mottes were built by Norman lords in the years after their arrival in Ireland as defensive sites to gain control of strategic areas. Today the motte at Athassel is very overgrown but it is an interesting indication of strong Anglo Norman presence in the area.
In 1205 it was noted that William died and was buried at the abbey he founded. This set an important precedent, from that point on Athassel was regarded as the final resting place of the powerful de Burgo [also known as Burke] family who continued to thrive in Ireland and went on to become Lords of Connacht and the Earls of Ulster in the thirteenth century. Indeed an impressive tomb was discovered at Athassel dating to the early fourteenth century. This work featured carvings of knights and was of such quality only someone of great wealth could afford to have commissioned it. It is unclear which member of the De Burgo family commissioned this work, but the beautiful example of a medieval tomb is one of the few Irish examples that still has traces of its original paint. The tomb was moved to the museum in the Rock of Cashel and can be seen there today.

Augustinian Canons came to Athassel on de Burgos request and initially built half a church, followed by a cloister area, then a chapter house and dormitories with a refectory or eating area before turning their attention back to the church to complete the nave or congregation area. The priory was dedicated to St. Edmund.  The support from a wealthy family like the de Burgos and the location of the Abbey on the banks of the navigable River Suir insured that it would become a prominent economic hub and settlement quickly grew around it. The burgeoning town was granted the valuable privilege of the right to hold an annual fair for seven days that attracted people from surrounding towns and villages from miles around. To put this in context, at this time Dublin was granted an annual fair of fifteen days. 

By the 1480s, the abbey was in decline. It had suffered during the fourteenth century from raids, burnings and plague, and by the fifteenth century Ireland was becoming more lawless as the power of the Anglo Norman lords was dwindling. In 1512, the strong connection with the de Burgo family was broken, and another family took precedence, the Butlers of Ormond. The Butler family had landholdings in south Tipperary and Kilkenny. The break with the Burkes was the beginning of the end for Athassel as shortly after King Henry VIII ordered the Dissolution of the Monasteries. Athassel was spared until 1552, when King Edward VI ordered the abandonment of Athassel. It was burned one final time in 1581 by a member of the Fitzgerald family who destroyed the monastery in Athassel in a search of ‘spoils and booty’.
Athassel stands today as a testament to the different fortunes of the Anglo Norman families who came to Ireland in search of opportunities and land. One of the largest medieval priories to be found in Ireland, Athassel is incredibly well preserved and highlights the strong connections between the Norman Lords and the church and the value of strong patronage. The complex stretches across four acres of land and features one of Ireland’s only medieval gate and bridge complexes, a truly wonderful site to explore.

To get to Athassel, make your way to the village of Golden, Co. Tipperary via the N74. Drive through the village, over the bridge, directly after the bridge turn left (the site is signposted) and continue down this small lane. The site will be located on your left. There is limited parking. The site is located both close to the historical towns of Cashel and Cahir so why not combine a visit to Athassel with a visit to the wonderful Rock of Cashel or the magnificently well preserved Cahir Castle. If you are planning on visiting one of those superb sites try out our audioguides available from www.abartaaudioguides.com, packed with original music and sound effects they are a fun and immersive way to discover the history and stories of Ireland’s heritage.

This Friary was originally commissioned by the Norman knight John de Cogan in the middle of the thirteenth century. The main structures on the site are the large nave and chancel church that probably dates between the late 13th – early 15th century, and later in the middle to late fifteenth century, a large bell tower, an aisle and a transept were added.

The elaborate canopied tomb of the de Burgh's

The site must once have been a busy and bustling centre,  as the remains of a deserted medieval settlement lie adjacent to the Friary next to the river. The settlement would have grown up around the Friary, with a substantial lay population of farm labourers, stone masons and builders, merchants and craftsmen and women all working to provide supplies and labour for the Friary.

Claregalway Friary is one of Ireland's finest Franciscan Friaries.  It is thought that the Franciscans first arrived in Ireland in the early thirteenth century, shortly after the death of the orders founder St. Francis of Assisi in 1226. They established a base in Dublin, and by the middle of the thirteenth century they had Friaries in Kilkenny, Waterford, Wexford, Drogheda, Athlone, Cork, Ennis, Limerick, Dundalk, Carrickfergus, New Ross, Multyfarnham, Nenagh, Ardfert, Kildare, Armagh and here at Claregalway. Most of these Friaries were founded by Anglo-Norman nobles like John de Cogan, and the powerful William de Burgh is said to have commissioned a foundation in Galway.

The tomb plaque added to the de Burgh tomb dating to 1648

 You can find a de Burgh tomb here at Claregalway Friary with a gothic style canopy probably dating to the fifteenth century. A later tomb plaque dating to 1648 was added to it.

The Friary has a number of well preserved medieval and post-medieval tombs, and you can see some great sculptural details if you keep your eyes open around the site.

Like so many of Ireland's monastic foundations Claregalway was dissolved by King Henry VIII in the early 1540's during the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the Reformation. After King Henry had rejected Papal authority, he quickly moved to have all the religious orders closed down as they were under the authority of the Pope, though perhaps his prime motivation for closing down all the wealthy monastic sites was to raise much needed capital to finance his foreign wars.   



During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I the Friary was used as a barracks for her troops.

Claregalway Friary was given to the Earl of Clanricarde in the early seventeenth century, and the Franciscans returned in the early 1640's though they lacked the capital to conduct all the necessary renovations to return the site to its former glory.




By the eighteenth century the decline of Claregalway Friary was clear enough that the French diplomat Coquebert de Montbret wrote in 1791 that “the monks are settling down among the ruins.”

Today Claregalway Friary is certainly worth visiting when you are in the area. It has a number of great features to discover and is a rewarding place to spend an hour or two. 




The site couldn't be easier to find, it is just on the N17 road from Galway to Tuam on the northern side of Claregalway. The site is surrounded by a modern graveyard, but is still easily accessible with a small carpark.

We hope you enjoy our articles, to find out more information about great heritage sites in Ireland please do visit our website www.abartaaudioguides.com where for just €1.99 you can download one of our critically acclaimed audioguides that tell the story of some of Ireland's iconic heritage sites. Packed with original music and sound effects they are a fun and immersive way of discovering Ireland's past!

The Hill of Slane in County Meath is a place steeped in Irish myth, legend and history. The site is positioned on the top of a hill that rises nearly 160 metres above the surrounding landscape, and offers beautiful and commanding views of the surrounding lands. This elevated position made it a strategic and desirable place for thousands of years.
According to Irish mythology, this was the burial place of Sláine mac Dela. He was the King of the legendary Fir Bolg, and was buried here at Dumha Sláine, from where we get the modern name, Slane.

The Hill of Slane is also part of the legends that grew around St. Patrick. According to legend, Patrick was the son of a wealthy Romano-British nobleman, he was captured by a band of Irish marauders who were raiding Wales for slaves. They brought him back to Ireland and reportedly sold the young Patrick to a druid. This druid made Patrick keep watch over his sheep, and kept him for six years before Patrick managed to escape and return home to his family. At home Patrick decided he wished to become a Christian, and entered the church, eventually reaching the rank of bishop. He returned to Ireland seeking to convert the country from Paganism to Christianity.

As part of this mission, the legend states that Patrick chose to attack and subvert one of the most important Pagan traditions. The main pagan festivals of the time were Imbolg marking the beginning of Spring, Bealtine marking the beginning of summer, Lughnasa was a harvest festival usually set in late August and Samhain marking the beginning of winter.

Of these festivals one of the most important was the rituals surrounding Bealtine. All the fires across the country would be extinguished to mark the end of the winter, and a great fire that could be seen for miles around would then be lit at dawn on the Hill of Tara, this symbolized the dawn of a new year. Patrick sought to hijack this pagan practice. He lit a huge fire here on the Hill of Slane. This burned throughout the night before the Kings warriors managed to capture Patrick and haul him back to Tara to answer to the King. Legend has it that Patrick then managed to perform many feats and miracles to prove to the King that the Christian God was far more powerful than the old Gods, and in the famous story he used a three leaved Shamrock to explain the mysteries of Christianity to the King. While the King had no wish to convert to Christianity himself, he was convinced enough to allow Patrick to continue on his mission to spread Christianity across Ireland.

Again historians question and dispute the legend. This history of Christianity in Ireland was written just two centuries after the events being described. This meant it was still important to the Christian scribes to show that the Old Gods had been defeated in their own heartland by the Godly Patrick, allowing a clear path for the new religion to become the dominant faith in the country.  In the few writings actually ascribed to Patrick himself, he never mentions Slane or Tara, and it is possible that he never even ventured there. However as the Christian monks and scribes were generally the only literate people at the time, we only have one version of the story. However we do know that the site was important to the early Irish Church, as a monastery was founded on the hill by St. Erc who died in 514 AD. This monastery is mentioned a number of times in the Annals of Ireland as being an important centre of early Irish law. It is also mentioned for a number of Viking raids that struck the site. Most notably in 948 AD when it is recorded that the 'abbot of Slane was taken prisoner and died in pagan hands', and two years later in 950 AD the; 'bell-tower of Slane was burned, together with a particularly fine bell and the crozier of the patron saint, and the lector and many people were burned after they took refuge with the monastery's valuables in the tower'. 

Though nothing remains above ground of the early 6th century monastery, today visitors to the Hill of Slane can find a superbly preserved 16th Century Franciscan Church and College.

These remains are a wonderful place to explore. Both the church and college are thought to date to 1512 when Sir Christopher Fleming, Baron of Slane, founded the site for the Franciscan order. The church has a particularly fine bell tower with a large gothic window. See if you can spot the strange stone head leering from above the windows of the tower on one side of the church.

The college was established to serve the church. It housed four priests, four choristers and four lay-brothers. It was constructed around an open quadrangle, with the priests quarters on the northern side. You can still explore some of the great original features like the staircases (please do take extreme care in wet-weather), and see the fireplaces, window mouldings and even a double garderobe (a good old classy medieval toilet). 


As you explore the ruins keep an eye open for some of the superb stone sculpture and carvings you can discover on the Hill of Slane. Like this dragon or wyvern (left). If you go inside the large vaulted room on your right as you enter the college, you can also see a large collection of decorated stone fragments.



The Hill of Slane is a great place to visit. The site is free to enter and has a large carpark. However please make sure that you take care (especially with small children) inside the ruins of the college, as the staircases may become dangerous in wet weather. There are a number of other great sites to see nearby such as the Hill of Tara. If you'd like to hear about the wonderful Hill of Tara and discover why it is one of Ireland's most important historical sites try our audioguide available for just €1.99 from www.abartaaudioguides.com – full of original music and sound effects it's a wonderfully immersive and fun experience. Follow the link for a free preview.

The Hill of Slane is well signposted from Slane, just head north up the hill on the N2 through Slane and take a left turn at Chapel Street/N2.

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Situated very close to the Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul in Newtown, Trim, Co. Meath are the remarkable ruins of The Priory and Hospital of St. John the Baptist. This site sits directly alongside the beautiful River Boyne and it is a superb site to explore. 

The Priory was founded in the early thirteenth century by Simon de Rochfort for the Order of the Crutched Friars (Fratres Cruciferi). As well as being a monastery and guesthouse for pilgrims, the site also served as a hospital. The Order of the Crutched friars were just one of a number of religious orders that were brought to Ireland by the Normans following their invasion. They also brought the Knights Templar, the Hospitalliers and Trinitarians, as well as strongly supporting the expansion of religious orders like the Augustinians, Benedictines and Cistercians who already had a foothold in Ireland prior to the Norman invasion.

The site was excavated by David Sweetman in 1984, he discovered the remains of a fifteenth century rood-screen that separated the nave from the choir, and a doorway in the gable end of the nave. He also found the remains of a tower leading to a room over the sacristy and part of the original domestic range to the north-east of the choir. Today you can still find the nave and chancel and a striking three-light window in the eastern wall. The large rectangular three-storey tower is 15th century, and was likely to have been domestic quarters.

You can still make out sections of the later 16th century enclosing walls that surround the site, and one small corner turret is still standing today in the western side of the field.

The priory was dissolved during the Reformation in 1541, and was converted to being a private residence.

This site is a wonderful place to explore, especially on a bright sunny day as it stands right on the banks of the River Boyne. The site is free to enter with a number of interpretation panels to help to explain the history of this remarkable site. The site is just a five minute walk from another spectacular site - St. Peter and Paul's Cathedral, Newtown, Trim (we have a blog post here about that site) and forms part of a wonderful River Walk that starts below Trim Castle in Co. Meath, a wonderful blend of natural beauty and history.

I hope you enjoy this blog, we're trying to cover as many sites as we can across Ireland. If anyone has any suggestions about sites you'd like us to cover please do leave us a comment. If you enjoy information and images of Irish heritage sites then do follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ If you'd like to support us then please consider downloading an audioguide to one of Ireland's wonderful heritage sites. They are packed with original music and sound effects and are a great way of experiencing the story of Ireland. They only cost €1.99 and are fun whether you are at the site, or listening from the comfort of your own home. If you enjoy stories of the turbulent medieval period in Ireland try our guide to Viking and Medieval Dublin, visit us at www.abartaaudioguides.com for free previews and to download your free audioguide to the Rock of Dunamase  or the free audioguide to the wonderful heritage town of Kells in County Meath
 

View from the bridge adjacent to the Priory looking back towards Newtown Cathedral

Ardmore has to be one of the most picturesque heritage sites in Ireland. The name Ardmore comes from Ard Mór meaning The Great Height and as you can see it is well named, as the site is beautifully positioned overlooking the Irish Sea.

St. Declan's Oratory

The site was originally said to have been founded by St. Declan some time in the fifth century, though there is little that dates to that early period visible on site. The earliest structure is probably the small building called St. Declan's Oratory that may date to the eighth century. It is said that the building houses the grave of St. Declan. The building was renovated in the eighteenth century, when a new roof was added.

One of the Ogham Stones at Ardmore

The largest building on site is the remains of The Cathedral, which dates to the mid–late twelfth century. It consists of a long nave and chancel, with a fine chancel arch and a number of typically Romanesque features like the rounded doorways and windows are visible. Inside the cathedral you can find two ogham stones which provide more evidence of the early medieval phase at Ardmore. An inscription on one of the Ogham Stones has been translated to read 'the stone of Lugaid, grandson of Nia-Segmon'. You can also see a number of medieval graveslabs.

The cathedral was extensively modified in the seventeenth century, when large buttresses were added and the chancel was enlarged. 

 The wonderful series of early medieval sculpture set within Romanesque arcading pictured below can be seen on the western gable end of the Cathedral. The series of panels with sculpture is an unusual feature. The style of artwork and the Romanesque arcading certainly suggest it is from the time of the bishopric in around 12–13th Century, but its position probably dates to the early 17th Century, when Ardmore underwent a series of renovations and alterations. The sculptures are very worn today, and are quite difficult to make out. The larger panels underneath are a little clearer and show [from left to right], a figure on a horse, Adam and Eve, then it looks like two kneeling figures. On the second panel to the right, I believe the lower figures show the adoration of the Magi, and above them is a sculpture depicting the Judgement of Solomon. The carvings depicted in the arcading along the top are far more difficult to make out unfortunately.

The Round Tower is one of the most striking examples in Ireland. It is a little later than most, as it is believed to be twelfth century. It tapers to a height of 30m and has a doorway positioned about 4m off ground level.

The Round Tower is also unusual in the three distinct external rings, after each the wall is inset a little which adds to the dramatic tapering effect. Scholars have long pondered about the function of round towers. The debate reached a pinnacle in the mid 19th century.

One commentator suggested that they were built by the Tuatha de Dannan, a mythical tribe of warriors who were said to have invaded Ireland and eventually they transformed into otherworldly fairy figures. Another scholar suggested that the towers were built by the Danes or Vikings to look out and monitor the movements of the native Irish. The most common story about round towers was that they were built not by the Vikings but by the Irish monks as a look out and defensive feature against Viking raids. It was thought that during times of attack, the Irish monks would collect the valuables of the monastery, run to the round tower, climb up to the doorway via a rope ladder, pull this up after the last monk ascended, close the large wooden door and be safe from Viking attack. Unfortunately, this would not have been the case. The round towers would not have made a good refuge during Viking raids. Once inside the tower the fleeing populace would find themselves trapped, with no water or sanitary facilities and the wooden floors and ladders would have been susceptible to fire. Instead it is more plausible that the Round Towers were constructed as bell towers. Indeed they are known as ‘cloigh teach’ in Irish Gaelic which translates to ‘bell house’. They would have also been visible from miles around, and as such they would have acted like a signpost to weary pilgrims on the route to Ardmore.

With its beautiful setting and number of interesting medieval buildings and features Ardmore should be on your must-see list if you are in Munster. If you visit on a sunny day there are few sites to compare with it in Ireland.

To get there simply head into the village of Ardmore in County Waterford and follow the signs up the hill, it is very easy to find.

I hope you enjoy this blog, we're trying to cover as many sites as we can across Ireland. If anyone has any suggestions about sites you'd like us to cover please do leave us a comment. If you enjoy information and images of Irish heritage sites then do follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ If you'd like to support us then please consider downloading an audioguide to one of Ireland's wonderful heritage sites. They are packed with original music and sound effects and are a great way of experiencing the story of Ireland. They only cost €1.99 and are fun whether you are at the site, or listening from the comfort of your own home. If you enjoy stories of the turbulent medieval period in Ireland try our guide to Viking and Medieval Dublin, visit us at www.abartaaudioguides.com for free previews and to download your free audioguide to the Rock of Dunamase  or the free audioguide to the wonderful heritage town of Kells in County Meath
All photographs © Neil Jackman / abartaaudioguides.com