Clonmacnoise Monastic Settlement

One of the Largest Sites of Early Celtic Christianity in Ireland

Sep 21, 2008 Anthony Toole

A few miles south of Athlone, in the very centre of Ireland, is one of the most important monastic sites in this land of saints and scholars.

Clonmacnoise stands on a ridge of high ground formed from glacial debris, with a commanding view over the River Shannon. It was founded in 548 AD, by St Ciaran, its situation determined by the fact that it marked a crossing point of the ancient trade routes: the north-south waterway of the Shannon and the east-west trail that followed the esker through the bogs.

Violent History

The position proved to be both a blessing and a curse. It grew into a major scholastic, trade, artistic and political centre, but also attracted unwanted guests, including Vikings and invading Normans. Between 834 and 1204 AD, it was plundered six times and burned on more than two dozen occasions. This was more than most of the castles in Ireland. Not all of those who attacked the monastery were foreign, for it was caught up in numerous tribal conflicts. Yet it was continually renewed. It was finally destroyed by an English garrison in 1552, though it remained a place of pilgrimage for centuries afterwards.

The Cathedral

The main site is surrounded by a wall, and contains a cathedral, seven churches and two round towers. It also supported a substantial community in the nearby countryside. The largest church, the Cathedral, was built originally in 909 AD, though little of this structure remains. It was repaired and extended many times, over the years, most notably during the thirteenth century and in the 1450s. Above the doorway, a carving depicts Saints Dominic, Patrick and Francis. Rory O’Connor, the last High King of Ireland, was buried near the altar in 1198.

St Ciaran’s Church

To the east of the Cathedral is the smallest church, Temple Ciaran. It measures 3.8 metres by 2.8 metres and is said to be the burial place of the founder, St Ciaran. The church probably dates from the early tenth century, though as elsewhere in Clonmacnoise, it has been frequently renovated.

The Nuns’ Church

Outside the walls of the monastery is the Nuns’ Church. This dates from 1166, and is built in the Romanesque style that had been recently introduced to Ireland from continental Europe. It is the burial place of Dervorgilla, the wife of Tighernan O’Rourke, who was abducted by Dermot Mac Morrough. She retired to the church as a penitent in 1170. Dermot is notorious in Irish history as the man who asked help from Henry II of England in a dispute with Rory O’Connor, an act that led to the centuries of domination of Ireland by the English.

High Crosses

Three Celtic High Crosses stand around the Cathedral. These are, in fact, replicas, the originals having been moved into the adjacent Visitors’ Centre. Though not unique to Ireland, High Crosses reached the pinnacle of their artistic development here in the ninth century. The South and North Crosses are carved mainly with abstract patterns of a style similar to that of the illuminated manuscripts, such as the Book of Kells. The Cross of the Scriptures, carved from a single piece of sandstone, is illustrated with Biblical scenes. Also in the Visitor Centre are examples of the large number of grave slabs found here, which date from the eighth to the twelfth centuries. These are inscribed with requests to pray for the deceased commemorated by the slab.

To the west of the monastery are the ruins of a castle built in 1214 by Ireland’s Chief Governor, though it lasted less than a century before being destroyed in 1300.

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