Offaly

At the heart of Ireland's midlands, Offaly is a county of ancient monastic settlements, vast boglands, and the rugged Slieve Bloom Mountains. Its heritage is closely associated with Clonmacnoise, one of the most important centres of early Christian learning in Ireland.

Did You Know?

Founded by St Ciarán in the sixth century, Clonmacnoise became a renowned centre of scholarship, craftsmanship, and religious life. Its surviving round towers, high crosses, and church ruins stand beside the River Shannon, which once carried pilgrims and scholars to its gates.