Dating back almost 1,500 years, Clonmacnoise is one of Ireland?s earliest Christian Monastic Settlements. It?s located on the banks of the River Shannon and borders the three provinces of Connaught, Munster and Leinster.

The whole site contains eight churches (10th-13th century), two round towers, three high crosses and a large collection of early Christian grave slabs along with the ruins of a cathedral.

Clonmacnoise was founded by Saint Ciaran, who was born in Roscommon in 512. Inspired by visions of fruit trees feeding birds, he decided to build a school in the very middle of Ireland that would attract people from all over the world and feed them with knowledge.

He spent many years trying to find the ideal location. In his dream, he could see "a great fruitful tree, beside a stream, in the middle of Ireland". Eventually he found a grassy ridge called "Ard Tiprait", on the banks of the River Shannon. It was perfect.

He started building on the 23rd of January 544. The first building was a small wooden church. Unfortunately, he never got to see the final result; he died aged 33, on the 9th of September 544.

But Ciaran's vision would eventually become a reality. The monastic school at Clonmacnoise developed into a place in which pupils from all over Ireland, England and France would come and learn from the well-respected masters.

In a lot of ways, Clonmacnoise is the ancestor of Ireland's top universities and colleges. The monastery became highly respected by the Irish kings. It was considered an honour to be buried on the grounds.

The most impressive buildings are probably the two high crosses. They're both on display in the visitor centre. You can also see an audio-visual presentation here along with various grave slabs that are on display.

During peak periods, Clonmacnoise can be come very crowded. Clonmacnoise is an absolute must-see attraction. The best times to go are early in the morning or late in the afternoon.