Gloriously placed overlooking the River Shannon, 7km northeast of Shannonbridge, Clonmacnoise is one of Ireland’s most important ancient monastic cities. The site is enclosed within a walled field and contains numerous early churches, high crosses, round towers and graves in astonishingly good condition (although several gravestones incline to the ground at under a 45-degree angle). The Clonmacnoise Visitor Centre provides an introduction to the site as well as containing several highly important and original stone crosses, along with explanations of their iconography.
Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¼´Ê±¿ª½±'s must-see attractions
Slieve Bloom Mountains Nature Reserve
24.51 MILES
A 2300-hectare nature reserve with a mountain range in the middle, full of walking and biking trails. A visit to Slieve Bloom is the perfect excuse to…
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It's easy to spend half a day exploring the attractions and gardens of Birr Castle demesne. The castle dates from 1620 and is a private home, but during…
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Inside this low, hulking 13th-century riverside castle, modern displays bring to life the tumultuous history of the town and detail life here through the…
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Clara Bog is one of the few great expanses of classic bogland in Western Europe to escape being stripped for fuel. Deceptively flat and seemingly lifeless…
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Set in a former Presbyterian church (1863), this volunteer-run museum has an idiosyncratic collection, including an inscribed 9th-century slab from St…
Nearby The Midlands attractions
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The small churches at Clonmacnoise are called temples, a derivation of the Irish word teampall (church). Tiny Temple Ciaran is reputed to be the burial…
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Temple Connor originally dates from the 11th century but has many later features, including a quite modern roof; services are still held here. As it has…
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Temple Finghin and its round tower are on the northern boundary of the Clonmacnoise monastic site, overlooking the River Shannon. The building dates from…
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The largest building at Clonmacnoise, the cathedral was originally built in AD 909, but was significantly altered and remodelled over the centuries. Its…
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This 12th-century historic site has Romanesque Gothic transitional windows that are unique to Ireland. It's also known as the Kings' Church, as seven…