Churches in Ireland

Discover 14 unusual churches in Ireland.

Ballinrobe, Ireland

St. Mary's Church

For fans of the stained glass art of Irish illustrator Harry Clarke, this church is the place to be.

The small interior of a chapel with a small mosaic floor arched roof and two coffins.

Carrick-On-Shannon, Ireland

Costello Memorial Chapel

The smallest chapel in Europe is a moving testament to the love between a husband and wife.

Though in ruins, the church is still remarkable.

Killeshin, Ireland

Killeshin Church

An elaborate Romanesque archway, built right before the British occupation of Ireland.

Teampall Bheanáin

Killeany, Ireland

Teampall Bheanáin

A diminutive, thousand-year-old church believed to be the smallest in Ireland.

Rindoon Castle and Safe Harbour.

Lecarrow, Ireland

Rindoon

Wander among the abandoned ruins of this once-powerful medieval town.

The Shrine of Oliver Plunkett.

Drogheda, Ireland

St. Oliver Plunkett's Head

The severed head of a 17th-century Irish martyr lies within an intricate golden shrine.

Athenry Dominican Priory.

Athenry, Ireland

Athenry Dominican Priory

Ruins battered by centuries of war and disaster offer a wondrous glimpse of medieval Ireland.

The medieval Church of Saint Nicholas.

The Lost Town of Newtown Jerpoint (Jerpoint Park)

Local legend says the remains of Father Christmas lie within the medieval grounds.

Kilmacduagh round tower in the burren Ireland

Galway, Ireland

Kilmacduagh Round Tower

The ruins of an 800-year-old monastery boasts the tallest round tower in Ireland.

Puck's Castle

Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown, Ireland

Puck's Castle

There might not be much left of these Irish ruins, but their linguistic legacy is still going strong.

The Seven Churches on Inishmore.

Galway, Ireland

Seven Churches

While only two of the ancient buildings at this site are actually churches this was one of the earliest Irish pilgrimage sites ever.

Saintly Weepers, possibly six of the Apostles

Kilkenny, Ireland

Jerpoint Abbey

This ancient Irish religious site is covered in ancient carvings, many of which have barely aged.

The ancient Round Tower.

Kilkenny, Ireland

Tullaherin Folk Museum and Round Tower

A collection of housewares from recent Irish history adjoined by a tower from ancient Irish history.

The Cantwell Fada.

Kilkenny, Ireland

Cantwell Fada

A standing relief of a Norman knight whose posture marks him as a Crusader.

Gallorus Oratory

Gallarus Oratory

This single room has survived the centuries with almost no deterioration.

Are we missing something unusual in Ireland?