CLONMACNOISE

Clonmacnoise, like all other Irish monasteries at the time, was built quickly after the death of St. Patrick.  Founded in Co. Offaly on the Shannon River by St. Ciaran in the 540’s A.D., the monastery would prosper in its outstanding location, neighboring a major trade route (the river), and lying on the border of Leinster and Connacht, whose kings helped support the community.  Originally built of wood, the stone structures that define the present-day ruins of Clonmacnoise were not added for several centuries; Temple Ciaran (now called the Cathedral) was the first stone structure, built, according to the monastery’s annals, in 909.  Later additions were made in subsequent centuries, like the gothic north doorway added in the 1450’s (Manning, 2003: 212).  Though no significant finds have been excavated of the original wooden settlement, early monasteries analogous to Clonmacnoise at the time tended to be a series of small, circular huts made of wattle and daub surrounding a church, and the entire settlement was encircled in a ditch (Parkes, 1987: 24-27).  The site also boasts two round towers (one missing its upper half), three high crosses, and six other churches (MacGowan, 1991: 15).  Irish monasteries in the early middle ages were amazing examples of scholarship to the entire continent, and Clonmacnoise was no exception.  One of the most famous products of its scriptorium was the book of Dun Cow (Lebor na hUidre), the earliest known example of literature written in the Irish language (Parkes, 1987: 34-36). 

               


Aerial view of Clonmacnoise, Encyclopaedia of Ireland, p. 213


MacGowan, p. 6
           Like most Irish monasteries at the time, the wealth of Clonmacnoise attracted a number of raiders and plunderers throughout the centuries, both foreign and Irish.  Norman raids took a particular toll.  Also, the twelfth century brought the establishment of the diocesan system, which sought to put religious and economic power in the hands of bishops, not abbots.  A raid by an English garrison in 1552 proved to be the final word in the decline of monastic power at Clonmacnoise.  Still, though the monks were gone, the site still proved very religiously important to the residents surrounding it.  On Pattern Day, the monastery was a stop along a station of prayers by the people celebrating St. Ciaran’s feast day.  The Diocese of Clonmacnoise was finally dissolved in 1750, and people were still buried within its walls up to 1955.  In 1833 George Petrie was the first to scientifically analyze the architecture of the towers, and eventually the task of maintaining the site was left to the Commissioners of Public Works (Tubridy,1987: 37-43). <>
              A number of excavations have been carried on in and around the site since, with a number of interesting recent discoveries.  After the discovery of Co. Offaly’s earliest ogham stone in the New Graveyard, extensive excavations have been carried out here by Heather King between 1990 and 1998 (King, 1990: 49-50).  In 1995 Donal Boland and Aidan O’Sullivan discovered evidence for a wooden bridge spanning the Shannon River, with dendrochronological dates to A.D. 804 (Donal, 1995).  King has also excavated areas around and beneath the monastery’s high crosses after they were moved for preservation.  The crosses were surrounded by numerous burials, many of them post-medieval or later.  She even suggests that one cross was moved in the 18th century to mark the burial places of the Malone family (King, 1993).

MONASTERBOICE

             <>In 2000, Kieran Campbell uncovered a wide array of artifacts, pits, and postholes in Newtown, Monasterboice, some possibly dating early as the Neolithic (Chapple, 2000: 238-239).  Still, the site is famous for its impressive medieval stone architecture, as first scientifically described by R.A.S. Macalister.  The abandoned monastery boasts two churches, a round tower, a sundial, two early tombstones, and three sculptured crosses.  The North Church, dating no earlier than the 13th century, is probably considerably younger than the South Church.  The north Church is built with inferior masonry but on a well-built, likely older, foundation.  The round tower was likely used as a watchout for Viking raids, and possibly a refuge from such attacks (Macalister, 1946: 15-25).
                Amazingly, there is no account of any Viking raid on the site, and this is likely due to a peaceful coexistence between the Irish and Norsemen.  Records tell us, however, that in 1097 a fire destroyed the roof of the tower, along with books and other valuables housed inside.  Coupling this disaster with the new diocesan system, the monastery could not rebound.  Its last abbot, Fergna mac Echtigern, died in 1122.  Like Clonmacnoise, however, the place was a common spot for local prayer festivals, and continued as a cemetery well into the 19th century (Harbison, 2003: 734).
               Though lacking the plethora of stone architecture found at Clonmacnoise, Monasterboice’s magnificent high crosses make the site truly unique.  In fact, two of the three are among the finest in Ireland.  The west cross is over 7m tall, the tallest in Ireland.  The Muiredach Cross (named after its inscription) is considered exhibit the finest artwork found on a high cross.  Both crosses depict elaborate and intricate scenes from the Old and New Testaments in addition to finely crafted abstract patterns (Roe, 1981: 15-26).





-John S. Richards

Macalister, Fig. 1

Muiredach Cross, Manning, Pl 14

Works Cited

Boland, Donal

                1995 Clonmacnoise. Excavations. Electronic Document              

                                http://excavations.ie/Pages/Details.php?Year=1995&County=Offaly&id=2474

Chapple, Robert M.

                2000 Site 4, Newtown – Monasterboice. Excavations.  Wordwell Ltd. Dublin.

Harbison, Peter

                2003 Monasterboice. Encyclopaedia of Ireland. Gill & Macmillan. Dublin.

King, Heather A.

                1990 Clonmacnoise New Greaveyard, Clonmacnoise. Excavations.  Wordwell Ltd. Dublin.

                1993 Clonmacnoise. Excavations. Electronic Document

                                http://excavations.ie/Pages/Details.php?Year=1993&County=Offaly&id=2942

Macalister, R.A.S.

                1946 Monasterboice, Co. Louth. W. Tempest, Dundalgan Press. Dundalk

MacGowan, Kenneth

                1991 Clonmacnois. Kamac Publications. Dublin.

Manning, Conleth

               1995 Early Irish Monasteries. Country House. Dublin.

2003 Clonmacnoise. Encyclopaedia of Ireland. Gill & Macmillan. Dublin.

Parkes, Hilda

1987 Life at the Monastery 1,200 Years Ago. The Heritage of Clonmacnois. Environmental Sciences Unit, TCD and County Offaly VEC. Tullamore.

Roe, Helen M.

                1981 Monasterboice and its Monuments. Turner’s Printing Co. Ltd. Longford.

Tubridy, Mary

1987 The Decline of the Monastery and the Emergence of the National Monument. The Heritage of Clonmacnois. Environmental Sciences Unit, TCD and County Offaly VEC. Tullamore.