Monasterboice

Monasterboice is a walled graveyard in the Louth farmland holding the remains of an early monastery: a round tower missing its cap, two ruined churches and three high crosses. The crosses are the reason to stop. Muiredach's Cross, cut from a single block of sandstone, still shows panel after panel of biblical scenes in high relief, from Adam and Eve to the Last Judgement, and an inscription at its base names Muiredach. The West Cross beside it is taller and far more worn. Burials continued in the enclosure long after the monastery ended, so modern headstones stand among the medieval stones, and the whole visit takes half an hour.

History

The monastic settlement was founded in the late 5th century by Saint Buithe, who died around 521, and the poet and historian Flann Mainistrech, Flann of Monasterboice, was lector here (Wikipedia, Monasterboice).

What's there

• Muiredach's Cross - the finest of the three, with carved biblical panels on every face.
• The West Cross - taller and more weathered, one of the tallest high crosses in the country.
• The round tower - its upper storeys and conical cap long gone, the door set high above ground.
• The church ruins - two roofless medieval churches standing inside the graveyard wall.

When to go

Any time of year in daylight, since the site is small, open and unstaffed. Low, angled sun in morning or late afternoon picks out the carving on the crosses, which flattens badly under grey overcast. A dry spell helps too, as rain and moss soften the stone. It is rarely crowded.

What to expect

This is a fifteen minute stop rather than a destination, and coaches sometimes fill the small car park and block the narrow lane. The carvings are worn, and without a guide or a panel the biblical scenes are hard to identify. The round tower is closed and the ground is uneven graveyard turf.

Nearby

Mellifont Abbey and the Boyne Valley are minutes away; Drogheda is the nearest town.

Key facts