The cloister
And its ancient yew.
Keogh Anna Maria — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Zairon — CC BY 4.0 · Zairon — CC BY 4.0 · Robert Linsdell from St. Andrews, Canada — CC BY 2.0 · Zairon — CC BY 4.0 · Zairon — CC BY 4.0 · Zairon — CC BY 4.0 · Robert Linsdell from St. Andrews, Canada — CC BY 2.0
The ruins of a Franciscan friary founded in 1448 in Killarney National Park, once known as the Friary of Irrelagh; today it is mostly roofless but keeps most of its original stone walls. The friary was attacked more than once, in the late sixteenth century and again by Cromwell's troops in 1652, and its ruins stand as a witness to centuries of the area's history. Its best-known feature is the square cloister ringed by stone arches, with a huge ancient yew tree at its centre whose branches spread over it like a roof, a scene where nature and architecture meet; stone stairs climb to the upper floor for a view over the cloister. It's free to visit, a short walk from the main road and from Muckross House, and it is surrounded by an old graveyard still in use, so please visit quietly and respectfully.
And its ancient yew.
Fifteenth century.
A view down.
Killarney National Park, near Muckross House
Yes. It's free, a short walk from Muckross House, and surrounded by a graveyard still in use.
