Clonmacnoise

I enjoyed the rich history and walking through these ruins. There is an entry fee, but no pre-purchased ticket requirement. The staff were very friendly on our visit. Part of these ruins includes a cemetery and you have to walk through it to get to the ruins, so be mindful and respectful when you visit.

Fantastic site with with a significant but tragic history. It sits nicely in the countryside scenery. The visitor centre is well done as well. Definitely worth to stop by.

With our OPW card/pass in hand, we are seeing as many sites as we can, during our time in the emerald isle, during our visit is as a very wet day, however, the bonus was we had the place to ourselves, the visitor centre staff were very friendly and helpful, the exhibition, was well presented and informative, the grounds were so peaceful and tranquil, we enjoed roaming through the ruins.

This was a great historic site that had old buildings and many different types of Celtic crosses. There were tours available for people who wanted them and the views down to the river were fantastic. If you're smart, you'll meander through the local cemetery which is next door and you'll cozy up to some of the local cows like I did and grab a few photos!

One of the highlight to visit in our winter road trip. It is a great historical site and ruined monastic site. The visitor center in charge is friendly and informative.

Fantastic historic and religious site. The tour was worth the $; our guide Kathleen was so informative and engaging. I could have wandered here for hours.

A five star location with loads to see and explore, the many ruins will keep you walking from site to site. The round tower is in fantastic condition and it has another small tower on a surrounding wall, some lovely and well kept ruins, each one different that the last one. Beautiful views of the river and country side. On the right day its a little heaven all of its own, cheers

I was nice I went in winter so it was a bit cold walking around but still worth a look only problem would be the road to there is a bit narrow if u meet a other car

Clonmacnoise brought me to tears. We first learned the significance of the site in the visitor center and laid eyes on the original three high crosses. The visitor center was not shy in detailing the strife that Clonmacnoise had endured over the centuries - From British imperialism to brutal raids. So after learning & imagining the lives of Irish settlers & monks from centuries ago, it was an honor to step outside & wander around their home. It wasn't difficult to feel a connection to the generations of humans who once lived in Clonmacnoise. And my god, the beauty of it all. The ancient monastic site overlooks the serene River Shannon. The stonework of the cathedrals, churches, & round towers endured the test of time. In early May, the blooming mother of thyme covered the ancient stones in lush purple flowers. The dappled light, soft breeze, & sweet birdsongs... It was all too much for this emotional Irish lad. I just had to cry. Entry to Clonmacnoise cost €8 - & an extra €1 for a paper guide. We were left to our own agency to explore which just heightened the wonderment of it all. Thank you Heritage Ireland for taking such good care of this 6th century city & for allowing us to experience it. I will be back!

If you're in the area, this is pretty to see. The grounds are gorgeous!! You can walk around freely and experience the beauty of it all. There's a whispering arch that's pretty cool. Head straight through to the grounds and complete the visit in around 30 minutes.

Definitely worth the visit. I loved the ruins and the story behind it all. The high crosses are so fascinating too. There's such a rich history here. It's worht the drive and there's a film and a gallery. Then you're free to roam the grounds. Student and senior discounts available. Make time to watch the film and then self guide ... This is Ireland!

Peaceful, serene site. Breathtaking views. We enjoyed the short film they showed about the history of the site. It's not super exciting for small children...nothing for them to do.

Probably not the most visited of Irish Historical Sites, more of a hidden gem really. I didn't know of it until I was consulting with the Principal on a new itinerary for our Ireland trip. This would be on our way to the West Coast of Ireland, so I looked it up and began planning. Getting to the site, particularly in a coach is not the most straightforward, but we did get there. When you pull into the car park, there are some lovely ruins of a Norman castle. When you arrive, there is a Tourism Center across from the site. The entrance to the site and the ticket building is lovely. There is one member of staff that was really friendly to our group, but the rest of the staff seemed to be... a bit hesitant and put off by our group. I don't know why, but that is the reason that I took a star off. In the two times that I made bookings for our groups and led the groups, the staff weren't particularly helpful and trying to get a receipt for the group was almost impossible too. We were ushered into watch a film about Clonmacnoise and then ushered outside into a tour. Honestly... if you have limited time (like we did) or you don't want to hear the same history twice, chose one or the other, but don't feel the need to do both the film and the tour. In fact I would say the tour is better because along with the history of the site they will take you around and point out items of interest. In the building there is more information about some of the items and the site. If the weather is not particularly good, make sure you bring some sturdy shoes as it will be soggy and a bit muddy walking through the ruins. It is a beautiful site though and I think if you are in the neighborhood, you really should stop by. My favourite bit is the Whispering Arch. It is carved so that if one person stands at each end of the arch and one whispers into the arch, the other person will hear it. I am not sure what peak times look like, but we always visited as soon as they opened on Thursdays and it is a good time as there is no one else there. It is lovely and peaceful in the morning and very mysterious with the dew and morning fog in the air.

There's no beating Clonmacnoise. A virtually intact site of a medieval monastic 'city' really gives an idea of how life was on the Island of Saints and scholars. Even beter, the abscence of annoying visitor centres and guided tours mean you can discover this magic spot by yourself. One of Ireland's real gems.

The guided tour in english was very informative and the guide pronounced very well. With the film in the museum you can imagine how the monks lived in the middle ages.