Devenish Island

Saint Molaise founded a monastery here in the 6th century, and for a thousand years Devenish drew pilgrims and scholars. Vikings raided it, fire swept it in 1157, and what survives spans the 12th to 16th centuries: St Molaise’s House, the lower church, the hilltop priory of the Augustinian canons with its tower and small cloister, and an unusually intricate carved cross in the graveyard. The round tower, 81 ft (about 25 m) tall, is one of the finest in Ireland and the only one with a carved cornice under its cap. There is no road: day boats from Killadeas take about 45 minutes and tie up at the jetty. A small exhibition and toilets open daily in high season, and entry is free, although works sometimes close parts of the site. The grassland is protected for breeding curlew, snipe, redshank and lapwing, so keep to the paths in spring.