I was the only one at this very old mediaeval church in the boondocks of Ireland. The door is... read more
22
8
8
1
1
St. Brendan's Clonfert Cathedral
Clonfert, Ballinasloe, Ireland
Review Highlights
“Famous for its Romanesque door and St. Brendan the Navigator.”
Archaeobuff
, Sydney, Australia
“Worth finding”
Perhaps not the easiest place to find and a detour off any given route between main spots the... read more
Tony2Phones
, Western Ireland, Ireland
Calahond
Limerick, Ireland
132
Most beautiful Romanesque Door
Review of St. Brendan's Clonfert Cathedral
via mobile Date of experience: February 2017
1 Thank Calahond
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Related to items you viewed
Reviews (40)
Filter reviews
40 results
Traveller rating
Traveller type
Time of year
LanguageAll languages
More languages
Traveller rating
22
8
8
1
1
See what travellers are saying:
Updating list...
14 - 19 of 40 reviews
Sarah C
County Donegal, Ireland
9935
We visited this on the Feast day of Our Lady of Clonfert and it was a lovely visit with family who lived near here in the 90's...
Date of experience: August 2016
Ask Sarah C about St. Brendan's Clonfert Cathedral
5 Thank Sarah C
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
WKGuy1
West Kelowna, Canada
303131
via mobile
This Romanesque church / cathedral is truly a hidden gem. It is a small, yet powerful example of nearly 850 year old construction for the purpose of worship and reflection.
The church holds small treasures as you look closely at carvings and other items. The graveyard is solemn and well maintained.
The short drive off the main routes is well worth the effort.
An amazing example of Christian architecture.
Date of experience: September 2016
Ask WKGuy1 about St. Brendan's Clonfert Cathedral
1 Thank WKGuy1
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ReenPA
Warrington, Pennsylvania
195134
Interesting that this small church is called a cathedral. When we stopped by in March we had the church and grounds to ourselves. The house to the right of the church while you are looking at it has the keys. You enter the church from the side door as the main door with all the carvings is fragile. Inside it is quite small but has many carvings with a beautiful inlaid floor and small stain glass windows. In the cemetery outside it will take a few minutes to find the burial site of St Brendan amongst the other tombstones.
Date of experience: March 2016
Ask ReenPA about St. Brendan's Clonfert Cathedral
1 Thank ReenPA
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gary M
2722
I can only echo the excellent reviews below and this place is definitely worth the detour, but for the life of me I don't understand why there isn't an interpretative centre alongside. Unless you know your stuff or have a guide with you, then it might be wise to read up on the place prior to visiting to fully appreciate it. I did so, but I confess that much of it still went over my head!
Date of experience: July 2016
Ask Gary M about St. Brendan's Clonfert Cathedral
2 Thank Gary M
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Doug L
52
The style of the carving around the doorway is called "Hiberno-Romanesque," a synthesis of the Romanesque from the continent and local traditions. I was amazed by it. The overall design is unique. There are also wonderful medieval-style stone carvings inside the church, which I was pleased to find open when I visited on a weekday. It's not hard to find if you consult a map ahead of time. Don't go to Ireland expecting that you can plug an address into a GPS unit for anything you want to see. It doesn't give up its treasures that easily.
Date of experience: May 2015
Ask Doug L about St. Brendan's Clonfert Cathedral
2 Thank Doug L
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.