Clonmacnoise

This is a monastery begun by St. Ciaran in approximately 546 -548 AD.  It is built along the River Shannon, at the crossroads where the river meets the Esker Riada.  The River Shannon is the longest river in Ireland and it essentially cuts the country into east and west halves.  The Esker Riada was a gravel ridge left behind by glaciers and became the main thoroughfare in ancient times.  The Esker Riada essentially cuts across the country creating two halves North and South.  As the Shannon was the main way to travel North and South, and the Esker Riada was the main way to travel east and west, the crossroads was the perfect place for a center of trade and education.  The monastery produced many famous manuscripts and it was known as The Island of Saints and Scholars.

There is a lot of history here, and obviously the place had additions built over the centuries.  St. Ciaran died of the plague only 7 months after the building had begun.  When he died, the monastic settlement was wooden huts, not the stone ruins we see today.  They suffered devastating fires and disease, and each time rebuilt.  Because of its location and renown, it was a target of plunder for many conquering peoples over the years, including the Vikings.  If I recall the film shown at the visitor center correctly, they said it was attacked by the Vikings no less than 8 times over a 300 year period.   Add to that 30 or so attacks by other kings and peoples and it is amazing to see that it stands at all!

The largest church, the Cathedral, was built on the property in about 909 in a joint undertaking of the King of Tara and the Abbot of the Monastery at that time.  Some of the High Kings of Ireland plundered, others provided support and protection to the Monastery.  The last King of Ireland, Rory O'Connor was buried there in 1198.   Temple Connor, built in 1200 still stands and is used for special masses to this day, as during the visit from Pope John Paul II in 1979.