Monasterboice is best experienced on a late summer’s day towards evening
when the soft rain has cleared.
Ideal for enjoying the peacefulness of this backwater, and ruminating
that here, at least, Ireland has not changed very much.
We’re talking ancient monasteries here, and they don’t come a lot more
ancient than Monasterboice Abbey. And the funny thing is this oasis of rural
calm is situated just a mile off the main Drogheda to Dundalk road. But
the beautifully wooded area set in the middle of rolling farmland in which
the monastery buildings nestle could be a million miles away from Celtic
Tiggerish Ireland.
Mainister BhuithÌn, or St. Bhuithín’s Monastery, as well as being
a haven from the travails of the 21st century, also boasts two of the finest
High Crosses in Ireland, and one of the best preserved round towers — built
as a shelter from the Viking hordes.
The Abbey is easily found on the busy Dublin road — about half-way between
Dunleer and Drogheda.
The first High Cross you’ll come to is the 10th century Cross of Muiredach.
Biblical tracts are displayed on the cross — the Abbey went up before the
majority of people could read or write, so these panels depicting the stories
of the Bible were for many the only biblical studies they ever had.
It’s not always easy with 10 centuries of weathering on the stones to
work out what each panel is actually referring to. Some are obvious — Eve
tempting Adam, David and Goliath’s pitched battle and Cain slaying Abel.
Others are a bit trickier.
In all there are 22 sculpted panels, of which about half are easily explained.
One particularly interesting and graphic scene shows Satan herding — and
kicking — sinners towards the gates of hell. Behind the West Cross stands
the tallest Round Tower in Ireland — all 110 feet of it. This is the 9th
century round tower, one of the most recognisable icons of Ireland. Round
towers are unique to Ireland — they just don’t occur anywhere else, which
is strange considering how perfect the buildings are for protecting yourself
from marauding hordes. There’s no keystone — an important consideration,
because the whole lot can’t be collapsed by the invaders with a few judicious
hammer blows.
The towers also acted as perfect look-out posts, and if danger threatened
all the valuables from the church would be gathered in the tower, the ladder
drawn up and everyone would sit tight till the bother was over.
One design flaw, however — if a well-placed flaming arrow caught the
floor boards, then the whole thing would act like a chimney flue and go
up in flames.
Near the church there is an ancient monastic sundial. The locals of the
time would have passed the sundial en-route to the little church in the
monastery grounds — shaking their heads in wonderment, mumbling: “Whatever
will they think of next?”
Co. Louth, “the Wee County”, is an often over-looked area. This is a
pity — because if it is character that you’re after, Ireland’s smallest
county is the place to go. Just up the road from Monasterboice lie the ruins
of Mellifont Abbey in a secluded valley on the banks of the Mattock River.
The first Cistercian Abbey founded in Ireland, Mellifont was built under
the auspices of Malachy O’Morgair, then Archbishop of Armagh in the 12th
century.
Malachy, one of the great figures of the Christian Church chose to build
Mellifont Abbey in Louth — because it reminded him of Clairvaux in France
where the Cistercians had their power base.
Louth, although a tiny county, is just about en-route to everywhere,
and it’s a fairly easy drive. You could leave London Heathrow at 10am and
be sitting in the car park of Monasterboice Abbey by 2pm. I know because
I did it once — and just to make sure I checked the time by the sundial.
