Clonmacnoise, County Offaly

We left Dublin and headed west. Our next stop was Clonmacnoise, which is a monastery founded by St Ciaran on the banks of the River Shannon in the 6th century. It became one of Ireland's major centers of religion and learning. The ruins include a Cathedral, two round towers, three high crosses, nine Churches and over 700 early Christian graveslabs. The doorway of the Cathedral is known as the Whispering Arch. Monks would hear confessions there; they would stand on one side of the arch and the penitent on the other would whisper his confession. Due to the arch design, only the monk could hear them. The site is a burial place to many high kings. We got to experience some true Irish weather while there. We were enjoying the sunny afternoon when suddenly the skies became gray and a steady rain shower moved in. We sought cover in the Mass Shelter. The rain eased up and we started tour the site again. It started to rain harder but the Temple Finghin and McCarthy's Tower provided us with protection.

The ruins of Clonmacnoise Castle, built in 1214, can be see from the monastery. It is known as the "Standing Stone."Read more