churches historical ireland

The monastery here was founded by St. Nassan. It was raided by Vikings several times throughout the centuries and then destroyed by Donal McLoughlin. Of the six churches that are said to have been built here only two remain. The first one you will come to, as it is near the road, dates from around the 12th century. It was used for a while as a parish church, and of interest are the stairs in the chancel walls that led to a gallery, now destroyed, and the square tower to the west. The second is s...

St. Molua's Oratory: in the grounds of the Catholic church on the hill-top may be found another example of early Irish church building. This is the small oratory of St. Lua or Molua from whom Killaloe got its name. Only the chancel is roofed, with a high pitched roof of stone. Of the nave nothing remains except some walling. The oratory, originally on Friar's Island about 1km downstream from Killaloe, was removed to its present location in 1929, when the raising of the river level thr...

The insignificant remains of the aisle of a medieval church as well as a few 15th or 16th century architectural fragments. The main interest of the place is a slab mounted beside these remains with a representation of the Crucifixion on it. On Christ's right is a man holding a spear, and on his left a man offers him vinegar in a chalice on the end of a pole. It probably formed the lintel over the doorway of a church which has since disappeared. The lintel is probably 12th century in date....

Templecorran Cemetery which sits on part of the site of the ecclesiastical settlement, has a historical trail around it outlining important graves which relate to general Ulster history. The most imposing memorial in the cemetery is the large monumeny to James Orr, the Bard of Ballycarry, who is the Ulster equivalent of Scotland's Robert Burns....

Trim is a town which was founded by the Normans on the banks of the Boyne and few towns in Ireland contain more medieval buildings than it. These buildings are as follows:

Castle:
The first fortification on the site was a motte with a timber tower, erected by Hugh de Lacy in 1172 as a first step towards the conquest of Meath. He left Hugh Tyrell in charge of it. But Roderick O'Connor, King of Connacht, thought himself threatened by its existence, and he marched agains...

A focal point of the northern midlands where the provinces of Leinster, Ulster and Connaught all converge, Longford, where history and literature, tragedy and triumph are all woven together, takes its name from the ancient stronghold of the O'Farrell family (Long Fort - Fort of the O'Farrells). Bordered to the West by the majestic River Shannon, Longford is a county of rolling plains and picturesque stretches of water. The highest pint of the county, Cairn Hill, is only 279 m high, but from a...

This a Protestant Church of St. John the Evangelist, built in 1786 and designed by James Gandon - one of Ireland's foremost architects. It contains an elaborately carved font of 14th or early 15th century date. It is located near Emo Court....

In 1147 the Cistercian order founded an abbey, having been granted about 8,500 acres by the then King of Munster, Donal Mor O Brien. The Abbey was suppressed by Henry VIII in 1540 and its lands confiscated and leased to the Cahir branch of the Butler family.

The present Church was built on the old abbey site in 1818/1819 by local builder Thomas Tinsley, whose work can be seen in many churches and houses in South Tipperary. An old doorway of Romanesque style is the only remnant of the...

The Parish Church occupies the site of churches dating back to the original foundation by St. Ailbe, who died in 527AD....

It is said that Saint Patrick founded the first monastery here, and it was to there that the tithes from all of Munster were collected for Armagh. Only the stump of a Round Tower and a church remain, both probably dating from the 12th century. The site offers a great view of the County....