This was one of those sites that you just happen to come across by pure chance. On a recent trip down near Moone I was in the process of getting lost yet again,down some narrow country road thanks to my trusty Sat Nav. Then out of the corner of my eye I spotted something of interest. So I turned around and was able to park the car on the verge just outside the boundary wall gate.
The ruins known as Killelan Abbey consist of a church and graveyard. With little information available for this site, I really had to do some digging on this one. It would seem that the site at Killelan is the remains of a 13th century settlement connected to the Knights of St John of Jerusalem, whom were better known as the Crusader Knights Hospitaller. Unfortunately this is pretty much all that is known.
Access to the ruin is via a gap in the wall and there are no paths within the enclosure save for a beaten track. The ground within the enclosure is significantly higher than outside with the surface quite uneven and overgrown in parts, so care is needed if exploring. Similar to the site at Oughterard the main square part of the church has a barrel vaulted ceiling with what seems to have been some sort of Round/circular Tower attached to the North-West, this was believed to have been added at a later date, perhaps 14th century. Also visible are small sections of what was once the foundations to part of the nave.
After studying the circular part of the tower for a while to figure a way in, I found a small crawl-space which lead to a spiral stair case. As luck would have it I was not properly attired for the occasion and had to miss out on ascending the tower. Most of the grave stones that are still readable date from 18th – 19th century, with many more that appear to be much older. With so little available information available we can on speculate as to the surrounding history of such a location but I guess it would be a safe bet to assume that Killelan would have come to an abrupt end either during the Suppression of the monastery’s by Henry VIII in 1534 or if it indeed survived the ‘Act of Suppression’, Oliver Cromwell’s invasion of Ireland (1649–1653) would have surely finished the job.
For more of my images, why not visit my Website,or follow me on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
In Ireland you never know when you become an accidental explorer 🙂
LikeLike
Some of my aunts/uncles who died very young are buried here. There were no headstones so we have no idea where in the graveyard they are buried. R.I.P.
Michael
LikeLike
Wow, what an amazing place!
Thanks for visiting The Hazel Tree – I’m glad to have found your blog.
LikeLike
Thanks for the follow, Glad you enjoy my blog, I’m really looking forward to checking out the rest of your wonderful blog. If I ever finish exploring the sites of Ireland I know where I will be heading next, 🙂
LikeLike
Awesome pics here of the abbey. Really communicate the atmosphere well.
LikeLike
Thank you, glad you like them 🙂
LikeLike
Brilliant words and images!
LikeLike
Beautiful pictures
LikeLike
Terrific pictures, what a wonderful experience.
LikeLike
Ah, that green layer of history! It’s being engulfed by the landscape- quite organic. Lots of stories in these walls!
LikeLike
There sure is, and finding them is half the fun:-)
LikeLike
Stunning photography! The mysteriously vague history adds to its richness! Thanks for sharing your talent and thank you for visiting and reading my work.
LikeLike
Thank you for your kind words, look forward to reading more of your work, 🙂
LikeLike
Wonderful photos! And thanks for visiting my blog.
LikeLike
Why thank you, I look forward to reading more.
LikeLike
I’m one of those want to be Irish people and I just sighed when I looked at your beautiful photographs. Thanks for “liking” my blog today so I could visit your blog and follow you!
LikeLike
Ah thanks Sherri, looking forward to reading through your wonderful blog, 🙂
LikeLike
Was this for real ? Its just like in one of those fairy-tales !
LikeLike
Sure is, and there are many more scattered across Ireland, thanks for stopping by, 🙂
LikeLike
Thanks for visiting my blog. This was an interesting piece – liked the photos, the sense of discovery and the mysterious lack of history
LikeLike
Thanks Alex, glad you enjoyed them, 🙂
LikeLike
Great snaps, thanks for sharing an awe-inspiring landscape. Ireland’s on our travel destinations bucket-list!
LikeLike
What can I say – Whoa!
LikeLike
these are fantastic! it’s one thing to get a good shot off, but it’s a completely different thing to capture the atmostphere of a place, and you’ve managed it – love these!
LikeLike
Than you for your kind words, they are greatly appreciated, 🙂
LikeLike
Awesome adventure and gorgeous pictures!
LikeLike
Thank you, glad you liked them, 🙂
LikeLike
Thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed them, 🙂
LikeLike
OMG.. That is stunning.. It’s my dream to go to Ireland.. those sorts of photos just make me long for it even more 🙂
LikeLike
Lovely photographs of a truly lovely place.
Thank you too for visiting Move the Chair-I appreciate you taking the time to look.
LikeLike
My Pleasure, 🙂
LikeLike
Love the way you captured the beauty of your country, can’t wait to see more of your work!
Also thanks for stopping by my site.
LikeLike
Thank you, 🙂
LikeLike
Beautiful photography, interesting site as well. Thanks for dropping by my blog on Pilgrimage. Question… How do you put text on your photo to copyright it? I would like to do that but don’t know how to?
LikeLike
Hi Stephanie, thanks for your kind words. You are the second person this week to ask that question. I made my watermark in Photoshop, i am looking at doing a quick tutorial to post here. Do you use a particular photo editing suite?
LikeLike
OMG I am going to look so ignorant here. No I don’t use any photo editing suite at all.
LikeLike
Not all, but its the only way to do a watermark, there are plenty of different software packages ranging from free such as gimp or paint up to expensive professional ones like adobe photoshop. You can download free trials of the later and then their is a cheaper version called elements which is good to start out with.
LikeLike
Thanks for visiting my blog, and in so doing introducing me to yours…and your stunning work!
LikeLike
Thank you Mary, I look forward to seeing more from you, 🙂
LikeLike
I am of the Ansel Adams school of printmaking in that I believe that in every black and white print we should be able to find something that is pure white and something else that is pure black. This tells us that we have used the full range of grays that are available to us. There are, of course, exceptions, particularly if we are trying to portray a foggy scene where the gray scale is muted. In your first image I don’t see anything that appears to be pure white. Is that just my monitor or are you trying to create a foggy look? Either way, I would love to see you expand the grayscale to its full limits just to see if you like that better. (It’s easy enough to do with the ‘Levels’ command.
Just my thoughts as a fellow photographer.
LikeLike
Hi Lee, Great to get some proper critique here, your comment is appreciated. Im not sure about the foggy effect! maybe it was me, but i will definitely have a look at this image to see if I can make an improvement. Thanks again, 🙂
LikeLike
Love’em. I would have had to battle myself if I had taken these shots. Color…no…B&W…no color. 😉
LikeLike
Thanks Jerry, it can be difficult but im starting to drift over to the dark side with these, even considering some infra-red! I guess it really depends on the image and what mood im in, 🙂
LikeLike
I certainly do understand the mood. Sometimes I’ll go back and convert some to B&W or Sepia. But I rarely go out with the main focus being on black and white. A lot of times that becomes an instant decision once I see a photo on the bigger screen. I did love the first one which was sepia.
LikeLike
Mine too, Sepia was my favorite up until recently. But I think it works better with people! The mono seems to show more detail for some reason in the ruin shots.
LikeLike
I think that maybe B&W seems to work better with ruins because ruins date back to a time before photography and modern day ruins can take one back in time before there was color which coincides with aged materials verses newer. To me it sets a mood fore a time of a past gone by.
LikeLike
Sure makes sense, 🙂
LikeLike
In my less than 9 months as being serious about photography that is my story and I’m sticking to it. 🙂 Just a little humor there guy.
LikeLike
Well if thats gonna be your excuse, I think ill use it too if ya dont mind, 🙂
LikeLike
Sure! By all means do. ;0
LikeLike
Great picture. I love abandoned buildings.
LikeLike
Thank you, well your at the right place I tend to spend more time shooting these places, 🙂
LikeLike
Many thanks for stopping by my blog with a like. You have some fabulous work here!
LikeLike
Its a pleasure Jude and thanks for the kind words, I could end up here all day, look forward to seeing more from you, 🙂
LikeLike
Beautiful pictures!
LikeLike
Thank you, 🙂
LikeLike
Absolutely beautiful photographs, I love ruins and cemetries 🙂
LikeLike
your photos are just wonderful
LikeLike
Thanks Sean, So glad you liked them 🙂
LikeLike
This a great and very interesting blog – I love coming across unknown ruins and exploring them!
LikeLike
Excellent shots despite the gloomy skies. That’s not easily pulled off.
LikeLike
Thank you, Glad you liked them 🙂
LikeLike
Very very special
LikeLike
Thank you, thanks for stopping by, 🙂
LikeLike
Beautiful photos of a magical place. Rekindles my desire to walk the ley-lines of the old country…Thanks for stopping by my blog, A Mom Next Door. Next time we’ll skip Disneyland and go here instead!
LikeLike
My pleasure, glad you liked them, just hope that you get the weather if you come to Ireland, 🙂
LikeLike
really beautiful pictures
LikeLike
Thank you, 🙂
LikeLike
Great stuff! Check out my ireland gallery at cyleodonnell.com. I’d love to trade notes!
C.O.
LikeLike
Thanks Cyle, Some nice shots in your galleries, thanks for stopping by, 🙂
LikeLike
Thanks for liking “archaeologists” and for sharing your great photographs, Ed. Hope you like some other quips. Best to you in your work and your blog.
LikeLike
so cool
LikeLike
Thanks Colleen, glad you liked them, 🙂
LikeLike
Beautiful photographs, I think one would look lovely in a frame in my home.
LikeLike
Thank you, so glad you liked them, 🙂
LikeLike
I like the way you have processed your photos. It conveys that almost mystical effect Irish sites like this have. The second one looks like some place in a fairytale.
LikeLike
Thanks Suzanne, glad you liked them 🙂
LikeLike
Love the sepia shot at the top of this page Ed!
There is a small “secret” room/chamber at the top of this tower, accessible from the grass covered “roof”. You need to take extreme ascending the spiral staircase as the steps are worn, sloped and sandy.
LikeLike
Thanks, glad that you liked it, it is one of my personnel favorites. That is really interesting. Guess I have to go back and check that out. When I was here last I wasn’t prepared. Thank you so much for the info. Keep an eye out for an updated post coming soon. 🙂
LikeLike