Clonmacnoise Review

Name: Matthew Heneghan
Student ID Number: G00285881
Title: Field Trip Report
Module: History

Clonmacnoise was founded in the sixth century in the year 547 or 548 AD. Clonmacnoise is situated at the heart of the Irish midlands. People have been visiting the monastery for 1500 years.   The monastery was founded by Saint Ciaran who came to Clonmacnoise to seek peace there. Clonmacnoise is situated beside the River Shannon and the Esker Riada. Ciaran first settled in Lough Ree but he then met Prince Diarmuit who helped Ciaran start building Clonmacnoise. The main reason why Ciaran chose Clonmacnoise was because of the location. It was situated on a major trade route. Ciaran started off his religious life in Clonard which was situated beside the River Boyne. He then went to Inis Mor to study. When Diarmuit became High King of Ireland he gave large sums of money to Clonmacnoise. Ciaran himself did not live to see the best days of Clonmacnoise as he died at the age of 33, he died of the yellow plague. Ciaran died about seven months into the building of Clonmacnoise. Ciaran’s church was built in memory of him in 850 AD. When Ciaran died Clonmacnoise grew rapidly. The Monastery became a centre of learning and literature. Artistic activities especially thrived. These included Metal work and gold work. Manuscripts such as the “Annals of Tighernach” were written in Clonmacnoise. People settled around Clonmacnoise because of trade and commerce. It also gave people potential opportunities for a better lifestyle because of its excellent location. Irish was the tongue of the Monks at Clonmacnoise. The monastery was plundered eight times by the Vikings. The Irish and the Anglo Saxons also attacked the monastery. Each time it was rebuilt. It was also burned an incredible 26 times between 834 and 1204. The Normans attacked Clonmacnoise in 1179. Over the next 300-400 years it was plundered on a regular basis.   Manuscripts such as the “Annals of Tighernach” and the “Book of the...