Overview
In July 1054 the monks of Durrow wrote down a brilliant new star over the abbey – the only record made anywhere in Europe of the supernova that left the Crab Nebula. That is the kind of detail Durrow trades in: a 6th-century monastery founded by St Colmcille in the oak woods west of Tullamore, with far more history than the quiet car park lets on. The Irish name, Darú, means “plain of the oaks”, and the estate is now mixed Coillte woodland of Scots pine, Norway spruce, birch and rowan over the old monastic ground.
One thing to know before you drive out: the high cross and its church are closed for conservation works, so for now the visit is the woodland, the demesne and the outside of the old house rather than the carved cross itself. If that’s the one thing you came for, check ahead before making the trip.
A layered history
Durrow’s story begins in the mid-6th century, when St Colmcille (Columba) chose this oak-rich landscape for a monastery. It grew into a centre of learning rivalled only by Armagh, and was praised by the historian Bede as Monasterium nobile in Hibernia – a noble monastery in Ireland.
The community is long associated with the Book of Durrow, an illuminated gospel manuscript from the 7th or 8th century and one of the earliest of its kind, though scholars now think it may have been made elsewhere. It is held today in the library of Trinity College Dublin. The original stone church is gone, its footprint marked by a later, modest building.
The grounds saw Viking raids and Norman fortification: Hugh de Lacy raised a motte here in 1180 and was beheaded by a local workman on the site in 1186. Centuries later, in 1839, the 2nd Earl of Norbury was murdered on the estate. Durrow Abbey House, the present mansion, was built between 1835 and 1845, gutted by fire in the 1920s and rebuilt with a new interior by the architect Ralph Byrne. It stands vacant now and in poor condition, and is not open to the public. In 2003 the Irish State bought the monastic site, the high cross and part of the demesne, putting the landscape beyond commercial development.
What to see
The high cross and church The centrepiece is a 3.6-metre sandstone high cross of the 9th century, carved with biblical scenes including the Sacrifice of Isaac, the Crucifixion and the Last Judgement. It was moved indoors, into the small church, for protection. Both cross and church are currently closed for conservation, so the carvings can’t be seen up close for now – worth knowing before you set out.
The demesne and holy well Scattered around the church are early grave slabs and a fragment of a second cross. A short walk away is St Colmcille’s well, still the focus of local pilgrimage.
Durrow Abbey House The house is not open, but its exterior is easily seen from the forest roads: limestone walls, gable-end bay windows, tall chimneys and corner turrets that give it a castle-like outline across the demesne.
Walking and the Pattern of Durrow There are no waymarked trails, but the forest roads make for good, flat walking, with pheasant, woodcock and grey squirrel about the woods. Come in June and you may catch the Pattern of Durrow, a pilgrimage and festival first documented in 1463, which still includes a procession to the holy well.
Visiting tips and practical info
- Getting there: Take the N52 from Tullamore towards Kilbeggan for about 5 km to Durrow crossroads, then turn off for the estate; the entrance is signposted. A second entrance can be reached by continuing on and turning right at the next junction.
- Parking and admission: A car park sits at the entrance, with a suggested €2 donation. Entry to the grounds is free.
- What to bring: No visitor centre, café or shop on site. Bring water, a snack and footwear that suits forest tracks.
- Accessibility: The ground around the monuments is fairly even, but several woodland paths are uneven or root-covered and awkward for wheelchairs or pushchairs.
- Combining your visit: Tullamore is a short drive for food, beds and the Tullamore D.E.W. Visitor Centre. For more early Christian heritage, Clonmacnoise on the Shannon is within easy reach.
With the cross closed, treat Durrow as a woodland walk with deep roots rather than a monument visit – quietest on a weekday morning, and best given an unhurried hour or two.