Muckross Abbey

Muckross Abbey is one of the best-preserved medieval abbeys in Ireland — and one of the most atmospheric. Founded in 1448 for the Franciscan order, it sits in the woodland of Killarney National Park a short walk from Muckross House. The cloisters, church and tower are remarkably intact for a building of its age, and at the centre of the cloister courtyard grows a yew tree that is said to be as old as the abbey itself.

The abbey

The abbey was founded by Donald McCarthy, King of Desmond, for the Franciscan order in 1448. It was suppressed during the Dissolution of the Monasteries under Henry VIII in 1541, but the friars continued to return and use it intermittently for over a century. The building was finally abandoned after Cromwellian forces burned it in 1652. Despite this turbulent history the structure survives remarkably well — the church, tower, cloisters and domestic buildings are all largely intact.

The yew tree

The ancient yew tree growing in the cloister courtyard is the most striking feature of Muckross Abbey. It fills the entire courtyard, its massive trunk and spreading canopy creating a canopy of dark green over the open space. Yew trees are extraordinarily long-lived — this one is believed to be contemporary with the abbey itself, making it over 575 years old. It is one of the most remarkable individual trees in Ireland.

The burial ground

The abbey and its surroundings contain the burial places of many of Kerry's most notable Gaelic families — the MacCarthys, O'Sullivans, O'Donoghues and O'Connells among them. The poet and O'Connell family connection makes it a place of particular significance in Irish cultural history. The graves range from elaborately carved medieval tombstones to simple modern markers.

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