Ross Errilly Friary, Medieval Franciscan monastery ruins near Headford, Ireland.
Ross Errilly Friary is a ruined Franciscan monastery centered around a cloister with a church, bell tower, kitchen, dormitories, and supporting stone buildings arranged around it. The layout reflects a complete medieval community designed to house monks and support their daily life together.
Founded in 1351 by the de Burgh family, the friary experienced periods of closure and reopening during times of religious turmoil. It was finally abandoned for good in 1832 when circumstances made continued monastic life no longer possible.
The friary served as a place where Franciscan monks lived out their daily spiritual lives through prayer and service to nearby villages. You can still walk through the spaces where these routines unfolded each day.
The ruins are open year-round and free to visit, managed by the Office of Public Works. The site is easy to explore on your own since there are no entrance fees or fixed visiting hours.
The kitchen holds a large stone cistern that was used to keep live fish from the nearby Black River. This medieval storage method shows how the monastery managed its food supplies with ingenuity.
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