Muckross Abbey

The 14th Century Muckross Abbey is 10 minutes walk from the school. It is one of the major ecclesiastical sites found in the Killarney National Park. It was founded in 1448 as a Franciscan Friary for the Observantine Franciscans by Donal McCarthy Mor. It has had a violent history, and has been damaged and reconstructed many times. The Friars were often persecuted and subjected to raids by marauding groups. Today the Abbey is largely roofless, although apart from this is generally quite well preserved. Its most striking feature is a central courtyard which contains a large Yew tree and is surrounded by a vaulted cloister.

In the 17th and 18th centuries it became the burial place for some prominent County Kerry poets, O'Donoghue, O'Rathaille and O'Suilleabhain. Muckross Abbey is one of the oldest graveyards in Ireland. Included in the graveyard is our family grave going back to the early 18th Century.