Cloister in Muckross Abbey

There are old ruins of an old abbey not too far from Muckross House, I wouldn’t be surprised if not a lot of people make it here since it might be a little out of the way, but I think it is worth the short walk to get there. The Franciscan Abbey used to be known as Irrelagh Friary is all ruined now. However, large parts of the abbey are very well preserved that it is nice to go around the abbey grounds to have a look. The largest structure in the abbey is obviously the church. You can probably tell where the main church was just from the tower and the windows. The other parts seem to be the abbey itself. Although I have visited other ruined abbeys in Ireland, this is probably the best preserved one I have ever been to.

I didn’t realize how much of Muckross Abbey was preserved until I saw one of the telltale hallmarks of an abbey or monastery – the cloister. Cloisters are a common feature in old abbeys such as Irrelagh. I have seen cloisters in other European countries and they seem to be fairly the same. There is an open space which is surrounded by arcades. I would think of this a some sort of park for the monks in case they don’t feel like going out. The cloister in Muckross Abbey is actually quite small compared to the others that I have seen elsewhere. At the center of the green space is an old yew tree said to be just as old as the abbey itself.

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