Clonmacnoise Monastic Site
About
Clonmacnoise is closed to all visitors from 19 October 2026 until 1 January 2027: the OPW says contractors need to close the car park and there is no other safe access. It is St Ciarán's sixth-century monastery on the east bank of the Shannon, about 33 km west of Tullamore as the crow flies and still in Co. Offaly. The ruins include a cathedral, two round towers, nine churches, three high crosses and over 700 early Christian grave slabs, and the original crosses are kept indoors in the visitor centre beside the enclosure. The visitor centre is also closed for essential works, so when the site reopens individuals and small groups visit the grounds as walk-ins only, with no guided tours. Outside the closure, arrive before half ten or after three to avoid the parking queue.
Photos
Highlights
- ✓Two round towers and nine churches
- ✓Over 700 early Christian grave slabs
- ✓The original high crosses, kept indoors
- ✓The site on the bank of the Shannon
Tips
- →Closed to all visitors from 19 October 2026 until 1 January 2027
- →The visitor centre is closed for works; walk-ins only, no guided tours for small groups
- →Avoid arriving between 10:30 and 15:00, when parking queues build
- →Groups of 15 or more must pre-book a guided tour