Trip Planner: Europe / Ireland / Western Ireland / Province of Connacht / County Galway / Historic Sites / Ross Errily Friary

Ross Errily Friary, County Galway

(60+ reviews on the web)

Religious Site Tourist Spot

The Ross Errilly Friary is a medieval Franciscan friary located about a mile to the northwest of Headford, County Galway, Ireland. It is a National Monument of Ireland and among the best-preserved medieval monastic sites in the country. Though usually referred to by locals as "Ross Abbey," this is not technically correct as the community never had an abbot.The church and bell tower are to the south of a small but well preserved central cloister and domestic buildings are to the north. Amongst these are a kitchen (equipped with an oven and a water tank for live fish), a bake house, and a refectory or dining area. The dormitories are on the upper levels. One unusual feature is a second courtyard or cloister, built to accommodate the friary's growing population.Like many other abandoned Christian sites in Ireland, Ross Errilly has continued to be used as a burial ground by area residents. In addition to tombs that date from the friary's active period, many graves dating from the 18th through 20th centuries can be found inside the church walls. In some cases, tombstones comprise the floors of walkways and crawlspaces.

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Reviews

TripAdvisor

DublinDiane

Ross Errilly Friary Ruins ---------------------------------- This is an amazing place to visit. It is located just outside Headford Co. Galway . I had never heard of the friary before but spotted the ... more »
Rosanneff

Quick stop on a bus tour to see the ancient ruins. Our bus driver gave us a good overview of the history and how it was burned down seven times. more »
RoseMarigold77

I had not planned this visit but was meandering around that day and can never resist a sign to an abbey, church or friary. And this is a fine one, standing out from afar. As someone else has said, you... more »

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Blye Braithwaite

This was one of my favorite ruins that I went to in Ireland. It is very beautiful and you can still use some of the stairs unlike other ruins where they block off their stairs. Also, it was founded in 1531! So cool.

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Cheryl Jaremba

Gorgeous place to visit in both cloudy and sunny weather. Fairly secluded and worth a short visit. Peaceful and beautiful.

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Dan Traun

My wife and I were here April 2016. We had the whole place to ourselves and was greeted by a local man out for a walk who gave us the history of the place. A wonderful place to spend a few hours wandering around and photographing it.

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Sarah Hubbach

This is a great ruin to tour. It's quiet and not a lot of people and it's BIG. No tour busses can get in here so cars onky so thats why it's so quiet. If you have a chance check this one out

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Jess Montgomery

Beautiful old friary ruin site. Worth the trek to check it out. It was surprisingly large

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