Kilmacduagh Abbey is a 7th-century Irish monastery near Gort in County Galway. Half in ruins, the building possesses an exceptional charm, worthy of Ireland’s greatest remains.
The origins of Kilmacduagh monastery date back to the 7th century, when the King of Connacht, Guaire Aidne mac Colmáin, ceded land near Gort to his cousin Saint Colman Mac Duagh. He then decided to found a monastery there, thus promoting religious and cultural life.
In the 12th century, the monastery’s influence was such that the Church of Ireland decided to create a diocese there: the monastery was then the official seat for some time, before falling into oblivion and finally being abandoned. Today, the monastery has become a major tourist attraction.
There is a legend about the creation of Kilmacduagh monastery. The story goes that Saint Colman MacDuagh was walking alone in the woods when his stole fell to the ground. He interpreted this as a sign, and decided to establish his future monastery on this very spot. According to the writings, this stole was of great beauty, inlaid with gold thread and precious stones. After Saint Colman MacDuagh’s death, it passed into the hands of the O’Shaughnessys family, and is now on display in the National Museum of Ireland, Dublin.
Another legend has it that it’s impossible to be struck by lightning inside the monastery. The reason? A poor man was reportedly struck by lightning in Kilmacduagh, but was thrown into County Clare, where the poor man died….
The monastery is fairly easy to get to: there’s no Visitor Centre or other facilities offering guided tours, so you can explore the monastery on your own, without paying an entrance fee.
We do, however, recommend that you take care where you venture: the ruins can be quite dangerous!
On the site, you’ll be able to admire an attractive round tower, which is in fact the monastery’s main attraction. It’s a cylindrical tower, over 30 metres high, with a curious leaning feature!
Among the other remains, you can also admire a superb cemetery, with its sculpted tombs and crosses, some dating back to the monastery’s foundation.
In addition, sections of the walls are still intact, giving a glimpse of what the monastery’s courtyard, passageways and prayer rooms once looked like.
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