Exploring Kilcrea Monastery and Ovens, County Cork

I recently explored Kiclrea Friary (also called Kilcrea Abbey) and Kilcrea Tower, which is located across the road and a field from the friary. Kilcrea Friary dates back to 1400s and is an ancestral burial place for the mighty McCarthy family of Munster, the most famous  is that of Art O’Leary. His grave is clearly marked and should interest anybody with a passion for Irish poetry and history. The friary was founded in 1465 by Cormac Laidir MacCarthaigh. After the locals run out of the space to bury people, they were just dumping the bodies here. You could still find some broken bones lying around here and in the old chimneys (although not many since the place is in the care of authorities and being cleaned up regularly). The friary now stands in ruins. Below you can see a short video of me exploring the friary inside and out.

• Exploring Kilcrea Monastery Site, Ovens, County Cork
• Wikipedia: www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kilcrea_Friary
• The Irish Aesthete: www.theirishaesthete.com/tag/kilcrea-friary/

Written by Elena Clancy

Elena was born in Russia and has lived joyfully on the Emerald Isle since 2002. She has walked the magnificent hills of Ireland, explored countless ruins, climbed Croagh Patrick, visited countless gardens, tasted various Irish specialties, and even slept in a tent on few occasions. She blogs at www.ruinireland.com.