This is another of those places I've wanted to see for a long time. We were here exactly 9 years ago, on June 6th, 2001, for the first time, and again on May 18th, 2002.
In one word it's huge! It stands in a field, at 200 metres from the road.
An old stone bridge joins the surrounding fields to the monastic settlement grounds which are delimited by a wide ditch. Once crossed the bridge, visitors walk under a gatehouse before seeing the complete religious structure before their eyes. The settlement was an Augustinian priory, founded in the 13th century by Walter de Burgh, 1st Earl of Ulster. The priory remained in use until the end of the 15th century.
After the gatehouse we walked through a large court to the main building, in ruins.
Some parts of the nave and of the chancel still survives, and especially the chancel offers many interesting details, like two carved figures on one side and a slab with two persons, maybe priests, talking one another, next to the altar.
The cloister is extensive and is best appreciated from an elevated point of view, like the roof over the domestic buildings.
The sense of peace is great over here and not much people come to this place.
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