Where should I go in Ireland for churches, abbeys and pilgrimage places?
Build the route around four anchors and let the smaller sites fall between them. Armagh, Ireland's ecclesiastical capital, holds two cathedrals for Saint Patrick on separate hills. Glendalough in Wicklow gives you Saint Kevin's monastic city, its round tower and lakes in one valley. Clonmacnoise on the Shannon adds crosses, churches and round towers where Saint Ciaran founded his monastery in the 6th century. For living pilgrimage, Croagh Patrick above Clew Bay and Knock Shrine, where an apparition was reported in 1879, are both in Mayo, and Lough Derg in Donegal runs its own demanding Station Island pilgrimage in season.
Useful pages: Where to go · Ready-made itineraries · The Wild Atlantic Way road trip · Dublin · County Cork · County Kerry · County Galway · Northern Ireland · Portrush · Visiting Irish castles · Plan your journey · Heritage · Golf in Ireland · Ireland's cities · Ireland in the movies · Best hiking trails in Ireland · The Southwest in 5 Days · The Great Links golf itinerary · Quieter places
Sources
- Irish Escapes guides and articles: shared/guides.json and shared/articles.json, including Golf in Ireland, Ireland in the Movies and Visiting Irish Castles
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