Clare Island Abbey facts for kids
| Mainistir Chliara | |
Abbey viewed from the northeast
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 Location in Ireland
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| Monastery information | |
|---|---|
| Other names | St. Brigid's Abbey, Mainister-ni-clarch; Cliara; Cleara; Clara; Insula Maris; Oilen-ui-maile |
| Order | Cistercians |
| Established | 12th century |
| Disestablished | 17th century |
| Mother house | Knockmoy Abbey |
| Diocese | Tuam |
| Architecture | |
| Status | inactive |
| Style | Cistercian |
| Site | |
| Location | Lecarrow, Clare Island, County Mayo |
| Coordinates | 53°47′36″N 9°59′21″W / 53.793229°N 9.989088°W |
| Public access | yes |
| Official name | Clare Island Abbey |
| Reference no. | 97 |
Clare Island Abbey, also known as St. Brigid's Abbey, is an old monastery on Clare Island in Ireland. It was once home to Cistercian monks, who are a type of Christian religious order. Today, it is a protected historical site called a National Monument.
Where is Clare Island Abbey?
You can find Clare Island Abbey in the middle of the southern part of Clare Island. It's easy to spot, as it's close to the local post office in a place called Lecarrow.
A Look Back in Time: History of the Abbey
St. Brigid's Abbey was built a long time ago, sometime in the 1100s or 1200s. In 1224, it became a smaller part of Knockmoy Abbey, which was a larger Cistercian monastery near Tuam.
The abbey was rebuilt around the year 1460. It holds many tombs of the local ruling family, the Ó Máille family. People say that the famous "pirate queen," Gráinne "Grace" O'Malley (who lived from about 1530 to 1603), was baptized, married, and buried here. Many believe she was laid to rest in the O'Malley tomb, which has a special stone canopy over it.
The monastery likely stopped being used by monks in the late 1500s. After that, it became a safe place for Carmelite Friars, another group of religious people.
What the Abbey Looks Like Inside
Clare Island Abbey has some interesting features. You can see a piscina, which is a basin used for washing sacred vessels, and sedilia, which are seats for priests. It also has carved heads and special lancet windows with curved, pointed tops called ogee and cusp-headed designs.
One of the most unique things about Clare Island Abbey is its collection of medieval wall and ceiling paintings. These paintings show many different figures, including mythical creatures like dragons, as well as humans and animals. You can see a cockerel (a rooster), stags (male deer), men on foot and on horseback, a harper playing music, birds, and trees. It's quite unusual to find such detailed art in a Cistercian monastery, as they usually preferred simpler designs.
