Clonmacnoise
Encyclopedia
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
of Clonmacnoise (Cluain Mhic Nóis in Irish
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
, meaning "Meadow of the Sons of Nós", or perhaps, albeit less likely, Cluain Muccu Nóis "Meadow of the Pigs of Nós") is situated in County Offaly
County Offaly
County Offaly is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Midlands Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Uí Failghe and was formerly known as King's County until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. Offaly County Council is...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
on the River Shannon
River Shannon
The River Shannon is the longest river in Ireland at . It divides the west of Ireland from the east and south . County Clare, being west of the Shannon but part of the province of Munster, is the major exception...
south of Athlone.
Clonmacnoise was founded sometime between 545 and 548 by Ciarán Mac a tSaor
Ciarán of Clonmacnoise
Saint Ciarán of Clonmacnoise was one of the early Irish monastic saints and Irish bishop. He is sometimes called Ciarán the Younger to distinguish him from Saint Ciarán of Saighir. He was one of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland....
, a young man from Rathcroghan, Co. Roscommon. Until the 9th century it had close associations with the kings of Connacht
Kings of Connacht
The Kings of Connacht were rulers of the cóiced of Connacht, which lies west of the River Shannon, Ireland. However, the name only became applied to it in the early medieval era, being named after The Connachta.The old name for the province was Cóiced Ol nEchmacht . Ptolemy's map of c. 150 AD...
. The strategic location of the monastery helped it become a major centre of religion, learning, craftsmanship and trade by the 9th century and together with Clonard
Clonard
Clonard may refer to:* Clonard, County Meath, a village in County Meath, Ireland* Clonard Abbey, an early medieval monastic site located near the modern village* Clonard monastery, founded in the late 19th century in Belfast...
it was the most famous in Ireland, visited by scholars from all over Europe. From the ninth until the eleventh century it was allied with the kings of Meath. Many of the high kings of Tara
Kings of Tara
The term King of Tara was a title of authority in ancient Ireland. The position was considered an eminent authority in medieval Irish literature and mythology, though national kingship was never a historical reality in early Ireland....
and Connacht were buried here.
History
Shortly after his arrival with seven companions - at the point where the major east-west land route through the bogs of central Ireland along the Eiscir RiadaEsker Riada
Esker Riada, , is a system of ridges that stretch across the middle of Ireland, between Dublin and Galway.-Geography:The Esker Riada is a collection of eskers, that passes through the counties of Dublin, Meath, Kildare, Westmeath, Offaly, Roscommon and Galway...
, an esker
Esker
An esker is a long winding ridge of stratified sand and gravel, examples of which occur in glaciated and formerly glaciated regions of Europe and North America...
left by the receding glaciers of the last ice age
Ice age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
crossed the River Shannon - Saint Ciarán met Diarmait Uí Cerbaill who helped him build the first church at the site. This was a small wooden structure and the first of many small churches to be clustered on the site. Diarmuid was to be the first man to be crowned High King of Ireland while a practising Christian. Ciarán died less than one year later of the yellow fever
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
(Justinian Plague) and was reportedly buried under the original wooden church, now the site of the 9th century stone oratory, Temple Ciarán. Annals record that he died at the age of 33, one of the many coincidences recorded between Ciarán's life and that of Jesus Christ.
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
s (at least 7 times) and Anglo-Normans (at least 6 times). The early wooden buildings began to be replaced by more durable stone structures in the 9th century, and the original population of fewer than ten men grew to perhaps 1,500 to 2,000 by the 11th century. Artisans associated with the site created some of the most beautiful and enduring artworks in metal and stone ever seen in Ireland, with the Clonmacnoise Crozier (on display in the National Museum of Ireland) and the Cross of the Scriptures representing the apex of their efforts.
In the 12th century Clonmacnoise began to decline. The reasons were varied, but without doubt the most debilitating factor was the growth of the town of Athlone to the north of the site from the late-12th century. Athlone became the main trading town for the midlands of Ireland, the most popular route for crossing the Shannon, as well as the best-defended settlement in the region. People migrated north from Clonmacnoise to Athlone, and with the fall in population went much of the support that the site needed to survive, and former allies began to recognise the decline in the site's influence. The influx of continental religious orders such as the Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
s, Augustinians, Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
s, Cluniacs, etc. around the same time fed into this decline as numerous additional competitor sites began to crop up. Ireland's move from a monastic framework to diocesan in the twelfth century similarly disimproved the site's religious standing, as it was designated the seat of a small and impoverished diocese.
It was visited by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
in 1979. The site can be visited for a fee, via an O.P.W.-managed interpretative centre (see heritageireland.ie for prices and contact info.). The site is accessible from the River Shannon, with trips from Shannonbridge and Athlone regular features during the summer season. Some private operators also offer bus connections from Athlone, but the most common way to visit the site by road, if a visitor does not have their own car, is by taxi from Athlone (€40-50 ret.).
Buildings and High Crosses
Most of the churches have recently undergone comprehensive conservation works, mostly re-pointing, with the Nun's Church (about 1 km off site), currently under wraps while it too undergoes the same process.Temple Finghín & McCarthy's Tower: Romanesque
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
church and round tower - 12th century. An unusual occurrence was the vandalism of this church in 1864 by a person from Birr on a 'pleasure party' to the Seven Churches, as Clonmacnoise was often termed. This led to a landmark case when a prosecution was brought against the vandal by the Crown, due to the efforts of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland
Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland
The Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland is a learned society based in Ireland, whose aims are 'to preserve, examine and illustrate all ancient monuments and memorials of the arts, manners and customs of the past, as connected with the antiquities, language, literature and history of Ireland'. ...
. Some of the funds which had been raised for the prosecution were later used by the Society to repair the cap of the church's tower. The structure is possibly the earliest example of a church and round tower being part of a single structure in Ireland.
Temple Connor: Church used by the Church of Ireland
Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...
since the 18th century. It underwent significant restoration works in the second decade of the twentieth century, when the pitch of the roof was raised and the internal space was remodelled. The church is maintained under the auspices of the Athlone Union of Parishes, and each Sunday during the summer a service is held at four o'clock in the afternoon.
O'Rourke's Tower: Though named O'Rourkes' Tower after 10th century Connacht king Fergal O'Rourke the Chronicum Scotorum, records that it was finished in 1124 by Turlough O'Connor, king of Connacht
Connacht
Connacht , formerly anglicised as Connaught, is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the west of Ireland. In Ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for...
, and Gilla Christ Ua Maoileoin, abbot of Clonmacnoise. 11 years later it was struck by lightning, which knocked off the head of the tower. The upper part of the tower is later work, so there is some speculation that the masonry thus toppled in the storm of 1135 may have been reused in the building of McCarthy's Tower.
North Cross: Oldest of the three extant crosses. Created c.800. Only the limestone shaft and sandstone base (a former millstone) survive. The decoration is non-Christian, with an image of Cernunnos
Cernunnos
Cernunnos is the conventional name given in Celtic studies to depictions of the horned god of Celtic polytheism. The name itself is only attested once, on the 1st-century Pillar of the Boatmen, but depictions of a horned or antlered figure, often seated in a "lotus position" and often associated...
, the Celtic God of hunting and fertility, displayed on the east face of the shaft. It appears that the piece was badly vandalised at some point in its history, a hypothesis which may explain its current state.
Temple Kelly: All that remains of this church are the low-lying perimeter stones, which still give a good indication of the church's original size.
Temple Ciarán: At 2.8 by 3.8 metres, the smallest church in Clonmacnoise. Traditionally presented as the grave site of St. Ciarán, excavations of the church unearthed the Clonmacnoise Crozier, but no saintly remains.
Cross of the Scriptures: This 4-metre high sandstone cross is one of the most skillfully executed of the surviving high crosses in Ireland, and of particular interest for its surviving inscription, which asks a prayer for Flann Sinna, King of Ireland, and Abbot Colmán who commissioned the cross. Both men were also responsible for the building of the Cathedral. The cross was carved from Clare sandstone c.900. The surface of the cross is divided into panels, showing scenes including the Crucifixion, the Last Judgement, and Christ in the Tomb. The original has been moved into the visitors' centre; a convincing, if hollow, replica stands at the original site.
Cathedral: Building started around 909 (Chronicum Scotorum) by Flann and Colmán. The west doorway has been recently (and somewhat controversially), comprehensively restored with the Gothic-style north doorway, often called the Whispering Arch, dating to the mid-15th century. The Cathedral is the largest of the churches at Clonmacnoise. Rory O'Connor
Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair
Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair , often anglicised Rory O'Connor, reigned as King of Connacht from 1156 to 1186, and from 1166 to 1198 was the last High King before the Norman invasion of Ireland .Ruaidrí was one of over twenty sons of King...
, the last High King of Ireland, was buried near the altar in 1198, joining his father Turlough. Most of the graves currently seen in the church are those of the Coghlan family, whose patriarch extensively rebuilt the cathedral in the mid-seventeenth century.
Temple Melaghlin: Built c.1200. Also called the King's Church, due to the fact that at least seven generations of Melaghlin Kings are said to be buried underneath the structure. The church is also believed to have housed the scriptorium, the room where the manuscripts were designed and decorated.
South Cross: A 9th-century piece originally situated at the southern end of the site's central hub. It has one Christian scene on its west face, a rough carving of the Crucifixion of Christ. Many believe that the Cross may have been part inspiration for the later Cross of the Scriptures. Again, the original is in the interpretative centre, with a not particularly accomplished replica (wrong colour, for a start) occupying its original site.
Temple Dowling: Originally built in the 10th century, this tiny church is named after Edmund Dowling, who renovated it in 1689, placing a stone carving of his family crest above the door. Sometimes referred to as MacClaffey's Church.
Temple Hurpan: Built in the 17th century at the east end of Temple Dowling, this annex had no religious function outside of being a burial ground for some members of the local parish.
O.P.W. Interpretative Centre
The site was handed over by the Church of Ireland to the Irish Government in 1955 and has been maintained by various departmental bodies since then. Currently the O.P.W. manages the site on behalf of the Department of the Environment and Local Government. The current visitors' centre opened in 1993, replacing a wooden structure, and entry to the site is contingent on the payment of an entry fee seven days a week (previously, from 1973–85, a part time guiding/interpretative service was maintained, which also required a small admission fee). The centre was designed to cater for a maximum of 80,000 visitors per annum.A small centre houses a theatre (56 seats) which runs the A.V. , 'Ciarán's City Fair' in English, German, French and Italian. If visiting during the high-season avoid the 10:00-12:00 and 14:00-16:00 rush as coach groups break their Dublin/Galway, Galway/Dublin trips at the site. A small number of publications are offered for sale in the centre, and given the absence of interpretative panels on the site, are an essential buy for those with an interest in understanding what it is they are looking at. Guided tours are available for groups, but have to be pre-booked.
The site attracted 169,000 visitors in 2007, but numbers have declined as Ireland's reputation as an expensive destination led to a national fall in visitor numbers. The most recent figures suggest that in 2010 135,000 visited the site, with the highest daily total being around the 1,500 mark. The completion of the M6 Dublin/Galway motorway has also fed into the decline, given that the travel time from coast to coast is now just two-and-a-half-hours, a journey duration that no longer necessitates a pitstop at Clonmacnoise.
Also on site is a small coffee shop and toilets. A Fáilte Ireland Tourist Office is located outside the main site and stocks a wider selection of publications and gifts than the O.P.W. centre itself. A well-maintained, if hugely inadequate, car (thirty-six spaces) and bus park (four spaces) is located at the west end of the site. Very often visitors abandon their cars on the small road nearby, as do coach companies, a fact that makes the site difficult to access at times.
The Fairy's or Horseman's Stone
Near the Chapel of Clonfinlough at Clonmacnoise there are several limestone boulders, one of which is called the Fairy's or Horseman's Stone. It has many cup-shaped hollows, crosses, daggers, and a pair of human feet (an example of a PetrosomatoglyphPetrosomatoglyph
A petrosomatoglyph is an image of parts of a human or animal body incised in rock. Many were created by Celtic peoples, such as the Picts, Scots, Irish, Cornish, Cumbrians, Bretons and Welsh. These representations date from the Early Middle Ages; others of uncertain purpose date back to megalithic...
) possibly connected with the inauguration of Gaelic
Gaels
The Gaels or Goidels are speakers of one of the Goidelic Celtic languages: Irish, Scottish Gaelic, and Manx. Goidelic speech originated in Ireland and subsequently spread to western and northern Scotland and the Isle of Man....
rulers. Dunadd
Dunadd
Dunadd, , is an Iron Age and later hillfort near Kilmartin in Argyll and Bute, Scotland and believed to be the capital of the ancient kingdom of Dál Riata.-Description:...
in Scotland has a well-known example of this tradition.
The Annals of Clonmacnoise
The Annals of ClonmacnoiseAnnals of Clonmacnoise
The Annals of Clonmacnoise are an early 17th-century Early Modern English translation of a lost Irish chronicle, which covered events in Ireland from pre-history to A.D. 1408...
chronicle events in Ireland from pre-history to A.D. 1408. The original manuscript or manuscripts are lost, and the names of its compilers are unknown. It is so-called because it was thought to be based on materials gathered at the monastery of Clonmacnoise, though there is some doubt about this.
Annalistic references
- 792. Aelmidhair, OEconomus of Cluain Mic Nois, who was of the Sil Maelruanaidh, died.
- 793. Connmhach, son of Burbotha, a descendant of Guaire Aidhne, scribe of Cluain Mic Nois .. died.
- 784. Murghal, Abbot of Cluain Mic Nois, of the race of Fiachra, son of Eochaidh Muighmheadhoin
- 789. Colgu Ua Duineachda, lector of Cluain Mic Nois, he who composed the Scuaip Chrabhaidh, died.
- 793. Connmhach mac Burbotha, a descendant of Guaire Aidhne, scribe of Cluain Mic Nois;
- 794. Anaile, Abbot of Cluain Mic Nois, who was of the Ui Briuin, died.
- 811. Suibne mac CuanachSuibne mac CuanachSuibne mac Cuanach, 29th Abbot of Clonmacnoise, died 816.Suibhne mac Cuanach was a member of the Uí Briúin Seola from what is now County Galway. The Chronicon Scotorum states that he "...rested thirty days after the burning of Cluain."-References:...
, Abbot of Cluain Mic Nois, one of the Ui Briuin Seola; Cluain Mic Nois was burned. In thirty days afterwards a victory was gained by Diarmaid, son of Tomaltach, over the Ui Fiachrach Muirisce. - 814. Duibhinsi, scribe of Cluain Mic Nois;
- 848. CétadachCétadachCétadach, 31st Abbot of Clonmacnoise, died 848.Cétadach succeeded Rónán, who resigned in 823 but only died in 844. Events which occurred during his abbacy included:...
, Abbot of Cluain Mic Nois, died. He was of the tribe of Ui Cormaic Maenmhaighe. It was in lamentation of him this quatrain was composed: "All have heard it/both uncommon and common/That an abbot at Cluain like Cedadach will never again be seen." - 899. Ioseph of Loch Con, Abbot of Cluain Mic Nois, of the tribe of the northern Ui Fiachrach;
Clonmacnoise in the Annals of Inisfallen
- AI547. Kl. In this year Cluain Moccu Nóis was founded: that is, Nós, swineherd of the king of Connachta, from whom Cluain Moccu Nóis is named. [AU 549]
- AI548.1 Kl. Death of Mael at the hands of another person named Mael. Repose of Ciaran, son of the wright. Mael Odur [died] the same day.
- AI570570Year 570 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 570 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Europe :* Spoleto becomes the capital of an...
.1 Kl. Repose of Aenu, abbot of Cluain Moccu Nóis. [AU 570, 577]. - AI587587Year 587 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 587 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Europe :* Sledda becomes king of Essex.* Guntram,...
.1 Kl. Repose of Mac Nise, abbot of Cluain Moccu Nóis. [AU 585, 591]. - AI602602Year 602 was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 602 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Byzantine Empire :* Maurice, at war with the Avars and...
.1 Kl. Repose of Ailithir, abbot of Cluain Moccu Nóis. [AU 599]. - AI652652Year 652 was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 652 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Africa :* Second Battle of Dongola between Makuria and...
.1 Kl. Repose of Aediug, abbot of Cluain, and of Ségéne, abbot of Í. [AU 652]. - AI713713Year 713 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 713 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Byzantine Empire :* Byzantine Emperor Philippicus is...
.1 Kl. Fáilbe Bec, abbot of Cluain Moccu Nois, rested. - AI724724Year 724 was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 724 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Asia :* Emperor Shōmu succeeds Empress Genshō on the...
.1 Kl. Repose of Cuinnles, abbot of Cluain Moccu Nóis. - AI737737Year 737 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 737 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming"737" is also known as a commonly celebrated phrase in the...
.1 Kl. Repose of the grandson of Lóchíne, abbot of Cluain Moccu Nóis. - AI753753Year 753 was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 753 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Asia :* Samarkand is conquered by Arabs.* The town of...
.1 Kl. Lucraid, abbot of Cluain Moccu Nóis, [rested]. - AI762762Year 762 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 762 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Asia :* July 30 – Abbasid caliph al-Mansur...
.1 Kl. Cormac, abbot of Cluain Moccu Nóis, rested. - AI771771Year 771 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 771 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Europe :* December 4 – Carloman I, King of the...
.1 Kl. Forbasach, abbot of Cluain Moccu Nóis, [rested]. - AI784784Year 784 was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 784 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Asia :* The Japanese capital moves away from Nara,...
.2 Repose of Rechtabra, abbot of Cluain Moccu Nóis. - AI789789Year 789 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 789 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Asia :* An uprising in Japan leads to a major defeat...
.1 Kl. Murgal, abbot of Cluain Moccu Nóis, fell asleep. - AI794794Year 794 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 794 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Asia :* Kyoto becomes the Japanese capital, ending...
.3 Ioseph, abbot of Cluain Moccu Nóis, dies. - AI816816Year 816 was a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Frankish king Louis the Pious is crowned emperor by Pope Stephen IV.- Religion :...
.1Bissextile. Kl. The burning of Cluain Moccu Nóis. - AI850850Year 850 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar.- Asia :* Emperor Montoku succeeds Emperor Nimmyō as Emperor of Japan.- Europe :...
.1 Kl. Repose of Cétadach, abbot of Cluain Moccu Nóis. - AI868868Year 868 was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar.- Africa :* Ahmad ibn Tulun, a Turkish mameluk general in Arab army founds Tulunid dynasty in Egypt....
.1 Kl. Connmach, abbot of Cluain Moccu Nóis, dies. - AI872872Year 872 was a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Battle of Hafrsfjord: Harald Fairhair becomes the first king of Norway....
.2 Ferdomnach, abbot of Cluain Moccu Nóis, [rested]. - AI876876Year 876 was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar.- Births :* Henry the Fowler, the duke of Saxony from 912 and king of the Germans from 919 until his death...
.2 Repose of Eógan, abbot of Cluain Moccu Nóis. - AI886886Year 886 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :...
.1 The destruction of Dún Tidill in the territory of Ara. - AI887887Year 887 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* The city of Toledo rises against the Umayyad leader....
.2 Anealoen the pilgrim, came to Ireland, and the wearing of the hair long was abolished by him, and tonsures were accepted. - 891. Mael Petair mac Cúán, took Cluain Ferta Brénainn.
- 895. Repose of Mael Petair mac Cúán, abbot of Tír dá Glas and Cluain Ferta Brénainn.
- 896. The martyrdom of Mael Achid, abbot of Cluain Moccu Nóis.
- 895. Repose of Fíngen, an anchorite from Mumu, in Cluain Moccu Nóis.
- 904. Repose of Ioseph of Loch Con, abbot of Cluain Moccu Nóis.
- 907. Eight score ferryings(?) [were made] by Cormac, king of Caisel, until they [his forces] arrived in Cluain Moccu Nóis during that Christmas.
- 916. Repose of Aed mac Ailill, abbot of Cluain Ferta Brénainn.
- 922. Tomrair son of Elgi, a Jarl of the foreigners, on Luimnech (the Lower Shannon), and he proceeded and plundered Inis Celtra and Muicinis, and burned Cluain Moccu Nóis; and he went on Loch Rí and plundered all its islands, and he ravaged Mide.
- 926. Kl. Repose of Colmán mac Ailill abbot of Cluain Moccu Nóis and Cluain Iraird.
- 931.Kl. The seventh feria [Saturday], ninth of the moon. Repose of Tipraite mac Amsene, abbot of Cluain Moccu Nóis.
- 934. Kl. Repose of Rebachán mac Mothla, abbot of Tuaim Gréine and king of Dál Cais. Repose of Uallach ingen MuinecháinUallach ingen MuinecháinUallach ingen Muinechain, Irish poet and Chief Ollam of Ireland, died 934.Uallach was of the Corca Dhuibhne of County Kerry, described as a banfhile Herend/woman-poet of Ireland in her obituary in the Annals of Innisfallen....
, poetess of Ireland. - 951. Kl. A foray by Cellachán and by Donnchadh, and they plundered Cluain Ferta Brénainn and Cluain Moccu Nóis.
- 954. Repose of Dub Inse, learned bishop of Ireland, and of Cellachán, king of Caisel, and of Éladach the learned, abbot of Ros Ailithir, and of Uarach, bishop of Imlech Ibuir, and of Célechair, abbot of Cluain Moccu Nóis and Cluain Iraird, and of Cormac Ua Maíl Shluaig, learned sage of Mumu, and of Lugaid Ua Maíl Shempail, abbot of Domnach Pátraic, and of Cenn Faelad mac Suibne, anchorite of Cluain Ferta Brénainn.
Annals of the Four Masters
- M918.9. A great flood in this year, so that the water reached the Abbot's Fort of Cluain-mic-Nois, and to the causeway of the Monument of the Three Crosses.
- 920.The plundering of Cluain-mic-Nois by the foreigners of Luimneach; and they came upon Loch Ribh, and plundered all its islands.
- 920. The plundering of Cluain-mic-Nois by the son of Ailgi, who afterwards burned it.
- 940. A great flood in this year, so that the lower half of Cluain-mic-Nois was swept away by the water.
- 972. Repose of TuathalTúathalTúathal is an Irish male name. It may refer to:* Túathal Techtmar, legendary king* Túathal Máelgarb , king of Tara* Túathal mac Máele-Brigte , king of Leinster...
, abbot of Cluain Moccu Nóis. - 1002: Flannchadh Ua Ruaidhine, successor of Ciaran, son of the artificer, of the tribe of Corca-Mogha, died.
- 1007. Robartach the Anchorite, rested in Cluain Moccu Nóis.
Clonmacnois Youth Festival
In 1979, when Pope John Paul II visited the ruins, he famously said that 'the walls of these ruins are charged with a great mission.'Since 2007, Youth 2000 Ireland, a national Catholic organisation for young people, have run a summer festival every year in St Mary's Field, by the ruins of the old monastery. This has grown into a major event, with over a thousand young people attending.
See also
- Abbot of ClonmacnoiseAbbot of ClonmacnoiseThe Abbot of Clonmacnoise was the monastic head of Clonmacnoise. They also bore the title "Comarba of Saint Ciarán", "successor of Saint Ciarán". The following is a list of abbots:-List of abbots to 1539:-References:...
, for a list of abbots - Vice-Abbots of Clonmacnoise
- Bishop of ClonmacnoiseBishop of ClonmacnoiseBishop of Clonmacnoise was the ordinary of the Roman Catholic episcopal see based at Clonmacnoise, County Offaly, Ireland. The bishops of Clonmacnoise appear in the records for the first time in the 9th century, although inferior in status to the Abbot of Clonmacnoise until the reformation of the...
, for a list of bishops - Priests of Clonmacnoise
- Scribes, Lectors and Wise men of Clonmacnoise
- Anchorites of Clonmacnoise
- Head of the Céili Dé of Clonmacnoise
- Seniors and Wise men of Clonmacnoise
- Head of the little church of Clonmacnoise
- Guestmaster of Clonmacnoise
- Officials and Students of Clonmacnoise
- Clonmacnoise and West Offaly RailwayClonmacnoise and West Offaly RailwayThe Clonmacnoise and West Offaly Railway is a narrow gauge railway and former tourist attraction in Ireland. Primarily built as an industrial line for hauling newly-cut peat, this 3 ft gauge railway was operated by Bord na Móna and conveys visitors over a 9 km rail journey through Blackwater Bog,...
- Quern (tombstone) - a tombstone from Clonmacnoise
- List of abbeys and priories in Ireland (County Offaly)
- List of towns and villages in Ireland