Muckross Abbey

Muckross Abbey is a well-preserved fifteenth-century Franciscan friary about four kilometres south of Killarney. It was founded around 1448 and was used as a burial place by the great Munster chieftains — the O'Sullivans, MacCarthys, and O'Donoghues are all interred here. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries, Cromwell's forces drove out the last Franciscan friars in 1652.

The ruin is freely accessible at all times. The most striking feature is the cloister, which is unusually intact, with arched walkways and the ancient yew tree filling the open centre. The tower can be climbed for views over the lake and surrounding woodland. It is a short walk from Muckross House along a well-marked path through the park.

things to do sight
A story
The yew tree growing in the centre of Muckross Abbey's cloister is believed to be as old as the friary itself — perhaps 500 years. Yew trees in Irish monasteries were traditionally planted for their symbolism of death and resurrection. This one has grown so large that its canopy now fills most of the cloister, and its roots have lifted and cracked the stone paving over the centuries.