Muckross Abbey
Muckross Abbey, or more properly, Muckross Friary as it is a Franciscan foundation, was founded by the Gaelic lord Donal McCarthy Mór in around c.1445. Relatively well preserved and set close to the eastern shore of Lough Leane in Killarney National Park, Muckross Friary is undoubtedly one of the most picturesque of Ireland’s late medieval ecclesiastical sites. The Franciscan community here were of the Observantine chapter, so-called for their strict observance of the Franciscan vows of poverty, diet, clothing and denial of material possessions. Though in many ways the friary reflects the simplicity aesthetics of the Franciscan community that it housed, there are many fine details and beautifully proportioned architecture to discover.
The name Muckross derives from the Irish ‘mucros‘ meaning ‘pig wood’. Though it was originally called Irrelagh (meaning ‘eastern pass’). The friary is dedicated to the Holy Trinity, and it is recorded that it had a miraculous statue of the Virgin. Muckross became the main burial place of the McCarthy Mores and the O’Donoghues of the Glens. As well as being the burial place of chieftains and the local community and friars, Muckross Abbey is also the burial place of the notable Kerry poets; Geoffrey O’Donoghue, Aogán O’Rathaille and Eoghan Ruadh O’Suilleabhain.
The friary had fallen into decline by the end of the 15th century, and like all of Ireland’s medieval monasteries, abbeys, friaries and priories, in 1541 Muckross was suppressed during the Dissolution of the Monasteries enacted by King Henry VIII. Though friars continued to administer to the local community and they were formally reestablished in 1612, before being finally driven out when it was burned by Cromwellian forces in 1652. By the early part of the 17th century, a large estate of land in this area, including Muckross Abbey, had passed to the control of the Earl of Kenmare.
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Muckross Abbey in Killarney National Park • Kerry
The Architecture of Muckross Abbey
The yew tree in the cloister of Muckross Abbey • Kerry
The church is divided into a nave and chancel by a tall tower that was inserted after the church was built. This vaulted tower is unusual for a Franciscan friary as it spans the entire width of the church. If you look directly underneath the tower within the rib-vaulting you can see the openings where the bell ropes once hung. The chancel may be the oldest visible part of the friary, and it has a simple but elegant tracery window in the eastern gable wall, and three similar windows in the southern wall. The damaged remains of a double piscina, where the priest’s hands and holy vessels were ceremonially washed during mass, is located underneath the eastern window. There are a number of later tombs from the 17th and 18th centuries inserted into the fabric of the chancel and nave. A sacristy is attached to the northern side of the chancel. This was a room for the officiating priest to prepare and for the storage of sacred vessels and vestments. The church also has a transept projecting from the southern side of the church, and this is likely to be a later addition.
Like most foundations, the cloister is located to the north of the church. The refectory where the friars ate is on the opposite side of the cloister to the north, along with the kitchens and a storage room underneath. The eastern side housed the chapter house where the business of the friary was conducted, and where the daily reading of the chapter’s rule took place. The dormitory was located above this.
The cloister itself is one of the finest surviving in Ireland. It has enclosed ambulatories, or walkways, that are vaulted and built into the ranges. The cloister arcades open into the open space known as the cloister garth. Standing proudly within this is one of the features that Muckross Abbey is perhaps best known for – a truly splendid specimen of a yew tree. Yews are an extremely long-lived species. It’s possible that this tree was planted when the friary was founded, or that the friars may have even built the cloister around it. It was already a fully mature tree when Charles Smith wrote about it in 1756:
‘…in the centre of which stands one of the tallest yew trees I have ever seen; its spread branches, like a great umbrella, overshadow the niches of the whole cloister …’
The yew tree in the cloister of Muckross Abbey • Kerry
Folklore Relating to Muckross Abbey
A delicate medieval window in the chancel • Kerry
A delicate medieval window in the chancel • Kerry
With such evocative ruins it is no surprise that the site is steeped in folklore. The origin story of the site is perhaps the first of these tales. A common thread is that McCarthy Mór had a dream or vision that he should build an abbey at a place called Carraig an Ceól – the Rock of the Music. He and his men searched the lands for such a place with no luck, but as they passed Irrelagh they heard a girl singing sweetly while sitting on a rock, and that’s where he then chose to build the friary for the Franciscans.
Another common tale that you can see in a number of forms in the wonderful School’s Folklore Collection (each number is linked to a variant of the story: 1, 2, 3, 4) concerns a ‘tyrannical’ landlord of Muckross House by the name of Herbert. The consistency of stories is rather striking, so it perhaps suggests that there is a kernel of truth somewhere within the tale. They all state that the landlord ordered the earth from the graves of Muckross Abbey to be dug up and spread out on his lands around Muckross House as good fertiliser for his gardens. Most of the tales report that shortly afterwards, the landlord was confronted by a young woman dressed in black. She demanded that he put the soil back in the consecrated grounds of the abbey but he flatly refused. She slapped him hard on his cheek, with a blow so strong it turned his head sideways. The woman is then said to have disappeared, leaving the landlord with his head stuck facing sideways in pain for the rest of his life.
Today Muckross Friary is a lovely place to visit, as long as you have no plans to disturb the dead of course! It is one of the best preserved of its type, and certainly the only friary where you can still see extensive remains of the upper floors of the domestic ranges. This gives an almost unique insight into the lived experience of the friars, letting you experience where they ate, slept worked and prayed. It makes for a wonderful day out when combining it with the other gems of Killarney National Park, such as Muckross House and Farms, Ross Castle, Torc Waterfall and more!
Upper left: the exterior of the friary taken from the historic graveyard that surrounds it • Lower left: the cloisters • Right: a view from the nave towards the choir and the crossing tower
Top: the exterior of the friary taken from the historic graveyard that surrounds it • Middle: a view from the nave towards the choir and the crossing tower • Bottom: the cloisters
Muckross Abbey Visitor Information
One of the must-see locations on the Ring of Kerry, this is one of Ireland’s best preserved Franciscan Friaries.
