Killeenbrenan Abbey, County Mayo

November 10, 2017

“Stones so quiet in the meadow -
how was it I chanced upon this place?
The light of a soft summer sun -
a blanket, ethereal grace -
that sits upon the fallen walls,
reaches through the gaps.
And I felt its presence as I walked,
I felt there not alone,
I felt this place, a friend once lost,
I felt I had come home.”

— Claire Loader

We came to Kileenbrenan on the hottest day of the year, the summer sky a hazy blue as we pushed open the rusty gate. A modest abbey, tucked in off the road just past Shrule, the spate of good weather saw her awash with swaying grass – her long-empty rooms silent but for gently rustling green.

Find this gorgeous site and many more of my favourite places here. Come explore with me…

Shop this and other handmade photo art blocks at my Etsy shop here.

Menlo Castle, County Galway

October 31, 2017

“And then night fell and there you were
in the space that sits between
the silky stitches that link reality
the fabric of my dreams.”

— Claire Loader

Sitting silently on the banks of the River Corrib, Menlo Castle is a twilight haven only a stone’s throw from the city of Galway. Best visited in the quiet hours of a summer evening, the tranquil setting is nothing but breathtaking, the sad monument watching from the trees the only hint of her tragic history.

Click here to read my short story inspired by the beautiful cemetery at Menlo and here to find the ruins for yourself. Come explore with me…

Clontuskert Priory, County Galway

October 18, 2017

“Ten years of indulgences, as I hand over my weighted purse, my transgressions lifted into stone. And the grand east window watches on and smiles, that through our sin, her glory shines.”

— Claire Loader

If sass was ever to be used to describe an abbey, then Clontuskert simply abounds. Filled to the brim with beautiful carvings and surprises, there are few that can top her many treasures. Burnt down in the early 15th Century, the abbey was rebuilt upon the granting of indulgences – 10 years for all those who would help fund her repair. It’s hard to not imagine then, gazing through the intricate west doorway towards the grand east window, just what sins were washed away to bring to life such beauty.

Find this fabulous site and many more of my favourite places here. Come explore with me…

Shop this clontuskert gem and other handmade photo art blocks at my etsy shop here.