Irish Abbeys & Priories

Ireland is home to hundreds of abbeys, priories, friaries and monasteries in various states of repair. Since the island's medieval conversion to Catholicism by Saint Patrick, these holy houses became the heart of Irish culture and the physical centers of just about all Irish settlements.

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Today, except for a small handful of well known sites, most ruins are largely unvisited by tourists. Many sites are quite large and you can spend hours exploring without seeing another living soul.