Two hundred plus years of U.S. history seems old until one is walking through ruins whose foundations are approaching 1000 years old. Carron Church in County Clare served the largest of all the Parishes in Clare until the 16th Century. "It was built around 1200, but much of what we see today ... dates from the 15th century." (site marker)
Carron Church
The Cistercian Order came to Ireland in 1142.
Corcomroe Abbey
[Corcomroe Abbey] was founded in 1194 by Dónal Mór O' Brien, King of Thomond." (site marker)
Dónal Mór O' Brien
"The English Reformation led to the dissolution of Catholic monasteries in England and Ireland. In 1554, the abbey was granted to the Earl of Thomond. The monks continued to tend the fields and maintain the abbey as circumstances allowed, but the political climate led to continued decline. The last abbot, the Reverend John O'Dea, was named in 1628." (Wikipedia)
Corcomroe Abbey
Corcomroe Abbey
Corcomroe Abbey