Clonmacnoise, also spelled Clonmacnois (in Irish, Cluain Mhic Nóis), is a ruined monastery located in County Offaly, Ireland, on the River Shannon, south of Athlone. It was founded in 544 by Saint Ciarán, who came from Rathcroghan in County Roscommon. Until the 9th century, it was closely connected to the kings of Connacht.
Saint Ciarán established the monastery in the ancient territory of Uí Maine, where a major east-west land route (Slighe Mhor) crosses the River Shannon after passing through the bogs of Central Ireland known as the Esker Riada. This important location helped the monastery grow into a major center of religion, learning, skilled work, and trade by the 9th century. Along with Clonard, it became one of the most famous places in Ireland, attracting scholars from across Europe. From the 9th to the 11th century, it was linked to the kings of Meath. Many high kings of Tara (ardrí) and of Connacht were buried there.
By the end of the 13th century, Clonmacnoise was largely abandoned. Today, the site includes nine ruined churches, a castle, two round towers, and many carved stone crosses and cross-shaped stones. The Irish government’s Office of Public Works oversees the preserved ruins. An Interpretive Centre is open to the public, the graveyard is still used, and religious services are held in a modern chapel.
Geography
Clonmacnoise (meaning "Meadow of the Sons of Nós") is located in County Offaly, Ireland. It is on the River Shannon, south of Athlone.
History
In 544, Saint Ciarán, a young man from Rathcroghan, County Roscommon, arrived at this location with seven companions. Saint Ciarán should not be confused with St. Ciarán of Saigir, who was the patron of Osraige. At this place, he met Diarmait mac Cerbaill, who later became the first Christian crowned High King of Ireland. Together, they built the first church at the site. This church was a small wooden structure and the first of many small churches built at the location. In September 549, before turning thirty-three, Ciarán died from a plague. He was reportedly buried under the original wooden church, which is now the site of the 9th-century stone oratory, Temple Ciarán. This location was important because it was where a major east-west land route through the bogs of central Ireland crossed the River Shannon. This route followed the Eiscir Riada, an esker left by glaciers from the last ice age.
According to Adomnán of Iona, who wrote about the accounts of earlier abbots of Iona who knew Columba, Saint Columba visited the monastery at Clonmacnoise during the time he was founding the monastery at Durrow. While there, he predicted future debates in Irish churches about the timing of Easter and claimed that angels had visited the monastery. During his visit, a young monk named Ernéne mac Craséni, who later became famous in Ireland, tried to touch Columba’s clothes while Columba was not looking. Columba noticed immediately, grabbed the boy by the neck, told him to open his mouth, and blessed him, saying he would teach the doctrine of salvation.
By the end of the seventh century, a plague killed many students and professors at Clonmacnoise. The monastery’s greatest growth happened between the 8th and 12th centuries. It was attacked many times during these centuries—by the Irish (at least 27 times), the Vikings (at least 7 times), and the Normans (at least 6 times). Starting in the 9th century, the early wooden buildings were replaced with more durable stone structures. The original population of fewer than ten men grew to about 1,500 to 2,000 by the 11th century. The site included churches, crosses, graves, and religious buildings, but it was also surrounded by homes and streets of a larger community of metalworkers, craftsmen, and farmers who supported the monastic clergy and their students. Artisans at the site created some of Ireland’s most beautiful and lasting artworks in metal and stone, including the Clonmacnoise Crozier (on display in the National Museum of Ireland) and the Cross of the Scriptures. The Book of the Dun Cow, a 12th-century manuscript, was written here. Its main compiler, Máel Muire mac Céilechair meic Cuinn na mBocht, was reportedly killed during a Viking raid in 1106.
By the 12th century, Clonmacnoise began to decline. The reasons were varied, but attacks by the Vikings (led by Turgesius) and the Normans contributed. The most harmful factor was the growth of the town of Athlone to the north of the site, starting in the late-12th century. Athlone became the main trading town for the midlands of Ireland, the most popular route for crossing the Shannon, and the best-defended settlement in the region. People moved from Clonmacnoise to Athlone, and with the population decline, much of the support needed to keep the site alive was lost. Former allies also began to see the site’s influence decrease. At the same time, the arrival of religious orders from the continent, such as the Cistercians, Franciscans, Augustinians, Benedictines, and Cluniacs, led to the rise of competing sites. Ireland’s shift from a monastic system to a diocesan one in the 12th century also reduced Clonmacnoise’s religious importance, as it was designated the seat of a small and poor diocese.
In 1552, the English garrison at Athlone destroyed and looted Clonmacnoise for the final time, leaving it in ruins.
The monastery ruins were one of the stops on Pope John Paul II’s itinerary during his visit to Ireland in 1979.
Buildings and High Crosses
The site includes the ruins of a cathedral, seven churches, two round towers, three high crosses, and a large collection of Early Christian grave slabs. Many of the grave slabs are carved with knotwork and interlacing. Most of the churches have recently undergone extensive repairs, mostly re-pointing, with the Nun's Church (about 1 km off site) currently being covered while it also undergoes the same process.
O'Rourke's Tower: Though named O'Rourkes' Tower, after 10th-century Connacht king Fergal O'Rourke, the Chronicum Scotorum records that it was completed in 1124 by Turlough O'Connor, king of Connacht, and Gilla Christ Ua Maoileoin, abbot of Clonmacnoise. Eleven years later, lightning struck the tower and knocked off its top. The upper part of the tower is later work, so some believe the masonry that fell during the storm of 1135 may have been reused in the building of McCarthy's Tower.
Temple Finghín & McCarthy's Tower: Romanesque church and round tower – 12th century. An unusual event was the vandalism of this church in 1864 by a person from Birr during a "pleasure party" to the Seven Churches, as Clonmacnoise was often called. This led to a landmark legal case when the Crown prosecuted the vandal, thanks to the efforts of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland. Some of the money raised for the prosecution was later used by the Society to repair the cap of the church's tower. The structure may be the earliest example in Ireland of a church and round tower being part of a single building.
Temple Connor: This church has been used by the Church of Ireland since the 18th century. It underwent major restoration in the 1920s, when the roof's slope was raised and the interior was redesigned. The church is maintained by the Athlone Union of Parishes, and each Sunday in the summer, a service is held at 4:00 p.m.
North Cross: The oldest of the three surviving crosses, created around 800. Only the limestone shaft and sandstone base (a former millstone) remain. A cross-legged figure has been interpreted as the Celtic god Cernunnos or a similar figure, while others believe it represents the Devil.
Temple Kelly: All that remains of this church are the low-lying perimeter stones, which still show the church's original size.
Temple Ciarán: Located near the center of the site, it is the smallest church in Clonmacnoise, measuring 2.8 by 3.8 meters. Built in 909, much of its walls are original and it is considered the oldest dated stone church surviving in Ireland. Traditionally believed to be the grave site of St. Ciarán, excavations uncovered the Clonmacnoise Crozier, but no saintly remains were found.
Cross of the Scriptures: A 4-meter-high sandstone cross is one of the most skillfully made of the surviving Irish high crosses. It is notable for its inscription requesting prayers for Flann Sinna, King of Ireland, and Abbot Colmán, who commissioned the cross. Both men were also responsible for building the cathedral. The cross was carved from Clare sandstone around 900. Its surface is divided into panels showing scenes such as the Crucifixion, the Last Judgment, and Christ in the Tomb. The original cross was moved to the visitors' center in 1991 to protect it from the weather; a replica stands at the original site.
Cathedral (Temple McDermot): Construction began around 909 by King Flann Sinna and Abbot Colmán mac Ailella. The west doorway has recently been (and somewhat controversially) restored using the Gothic-style north doorway, often called the Whispering Arch, which dates to the mid-15th century. The cathedral is the largest church at Clonmacnoise. Rory O'Connor, the last High King of Ireland, was buried near the altar in 1198, joining his father, Turlough. Most of the graves currently seen in the church belong to the Coghlan family, whose leader extensively rebuilt the cathedral in the mid-17th century.
Temple Melaghlin: Built around 1200, it is also called the King's Church because seven generations of Melaghlin kings are said to be buried beneath it. The church is believed to have housed the scriptorium, the room where manuscripts were created and decorated.
South Cross: A 9th-century piece originally located at the southern end of the site's central area. It features one Christian scene on its west face, a rough carving of the Crucifixion of Christ. Many believe this cross may have inspired the later Cross of the Scriptures. The original is now in the interpretative center, with a replica at the original site.
Temple Dowling: Originally built in the 10th century, this small church is named after Edmund Dowling, who renovated it in 1689 and placed a stone carving of his family crest above the door.
Temple Hurpan: Built in the 17th century at the east end of Temple Dowling, this annex served no religious purpose other than as a burial ground for some local parish members. It is sometimes called MacClaffey's Church.
Interpretative Centre and facilities
Clonmacnoise was transferred by the Church of Ireland to the Irish Government in 1955. Since that time, different government groups have taken care of the site. Today, the Office of Public Works manages the site for the Department of the Environment and Local Government.
The current visitors' centre opened in 1993. It replaced an older wooden building. To visit the site, people must pay an entry fee every day of the week. From 1973 to 1985, a part-time guiding/interpretative service was also available, which also required a small admission fee. The centre was built to handle up to 80,000 visitors each year. In 2007, about 169,000 people visited, and in 2010, about 135,000 people visited.
The Interpretative Centre includes exhibits that show the history of Clonmacnoise and the surrounding area. It displays archaeological artefacts, such as the original stone crosses, which are kept indoors to protect them and for display. Information about the people who lived and worked at the site is also included, as well as a section about the local environment, such as the Shannon River and wetland bogs. Other facilities include a theatre for audio/visual shows, a Fáilte Ireland tourist office, a gift shop, a tea room, restrooms, and parking. Guided tours of the site can be arranged in advance for groups.
The lonfanlough stone
Near the Chapel of Clonfinlough at Clonmacnoise, there are a few limestone boulders. One of these is called the Fairy's or Horseman's Stone. This stone has many cup-shaped hollows, crosses, daggers, and a pair of human feet (an example of a Petrosomatoglyph). These markings may be related to the beginning of leadership for Gaelic rulers.
Annals
The Annals of Clonmacnoise record events in Ireland from before written history until the year 1408. The original writings are no longer available, and the names of the people who created them are unknown. It is called this because it was believed to be made using materials collected at the Clonmacnoise monastery.