MONASTERIES
This page was written by Seán B & Seán M (Rang a III)
There are a number of important monastic sites in County Offaly. Clonmacnoise and Durrow are two of the most important.
CLONMACNOISE
The monastic site of Clonmacnoise is in west Offaly close to the present day towns of Athlone and Ferbane. The monastery was founded over 1500 years ago by St.Ciarán. He chose this site because it was close to the River Shannon and also close to an important Celtic road along the Eiscir Riada.
St.Ciarán met Diarmuid, a local taoiseach, who helped him to build a small wooden church. This was the first of many small churches ,the ruins of which dot the site.
St.Ciarán died four years later at 33 years of age before his monastery began to flourish. Scholars from all over Europe came to this seat of learning and it soon became world-famous.
DURROW
It had a scriptorium where skills of calligraphy (handwriting) and illustration were perfected. Metal smiths also produced some fine Celtic craftwork in gold silver and bronze. It was plundred many times both by the native Irish and by the Vikings who sailed up the river Shannon from their Viking town of Limerick.
This monastery was founded by St.Colmcille ( dove of the church). St.Colmcill also founded the famous monastery of Kells ( where the Book of Kells was written) and Derry.
He was in charge of this monastery until he moved to set up the monastery of Iona off the coast of Scotland. It was in this monastery that the Book of Durrow was written.
This book can be seen today in Trinity College, Dublin. It is supposed to have been written in the 7th Century and is a copy of the Gospels.
It is also supposed to be the earliest surviving decorated manuscript of the Gospels. Durrow was also a famous school.
It also was plundered by the Vikings but was not destroyed until Norman times. Today among the ruins of the abbey are some fine examples of Celtic Crosses.
