Kilfenora cathedral and Corcomroe abbey

I may be crazy by putting these two places together on this blog because I took well over 100 photos between the two sites.  Those of you that I will subject to a slide show when I get home can see all the photos, but here are some of my best from each site.

Kilfenora

Kilfenora is a larger town than Ballyvaughan and only a few minutes drive away.  But it's somehow smaller and quieter - there is no summer crowd in Kilfenora.  It looks and feels like a depressed town.  But they had a really cool cathedral called St. Fachtnan's that was built around 1190.  Yay, a medieval church!

St. Fachtnan (or St. Fachtna - both spellings are common) started a monastery in Kilfenora in the 6th century.  This is likely a portrait of him.

large Irish cross and the view from Kilfenora

apse window of Kilfenora cathedral.  The original church was wooden and was repeatedly burnt during raids; this stone version was rebuilt and has fared a little better.  No roofs on these stone buildings usually meant wooden roofs that were destroyed long ago. 

Doorty cross, 11th-12th century.  One side has the Christ figure, the other St. Fachtnan. 

Corcomroe Abbey

Corcomroe Abbey is a 12th century Cistercian community set in the middle of an isolated and quiet valley in the Burren that was in use for 400 years (until 1628.)  An older gentleman that I met at Greene's the night before we went to Corcomroe told me to give myself plenty of time to enjoy the place...he was right.  It's magical.

exterior view of the abbey.  Notice we had SUNSHINE!!!

entrance and front windows

apse and rib vaulting - very excited to see actual Romanesque rib vaulting in person and not just from a book

good shot of two capitals, one with fleur de lis (Dee Dee was very excited to see that)

tomb effigy of King Conor na Siudaine Ua Briain, an Irish cheiftain, from 1267.  His grandfather founded the abbey.  And yes, I touched all over this.