Overview
Ross Errilly (Irish: Mainistir Ros Oirialaigh) is the most complete Franciscan friary ruin in Ireland, and the reason to make the short detour off the N84. Most monastic sites leave you reconstructing the layout from a few walls; here the church, bell tower, both cloisters, the kitchen and the domestic ranges all still stand, so you can walk the route the friars walked. It is a National Monument cared for by the Office of Public Works, on the south bank of the Black River about a mile north-west of Headford, and entry is free.
History
The earliest record of the friary is in the will of Galway merchant John Blake, who left 40 pence to the community in 1469, which puts the foundation around 1460. The Four Masters record an earlier origin of 1351 linked to the de Burgh family. Either way, most of the surviving stonework went up over a century of expansion, including the bell tower completed in 1498 and a second cloister.
The Reformation began the disruptions. In 1538, under Henry VIII, the friary was confiscated and the friars imprisoned or expelled. The Earls of Clanricarde restored it more than once, only for it to be seized again during the Nine Years’ War (1594–1603) and by Cromwellian forces in 1656. The community came back in 1611 and again in 1664 after the Restoration, weathered the Williamite wars and the Penal Laws, and finally relocated in 1832. For a building so often emptied, remarkably little of it fell down.
A few footnotes: the friary is known locally as Ross Abbey, though it never had an abbot; survivors of the 1642 Massacre at Shrule were sheltered here by the friars; and the site appeared in The Quiet Man (1952) and the TV series Reign (2013).
What to see
- Church and bell tower – a tall nave on the north side and the 1498 bell tower. The tower is closed to climbing, but its stone arches read clearly from the church floor.
- Cloisters – two cloisters around the courtyard, the inner one with Gothic arcading.
- Kitchen and bake-house – the standout. A stone oven, a bake-house, and a built-in fish-tank that once held live Black River fish until a feast day – a piece of medieval plumbing you rarely see survive.
- Burial ground – grave slabs from the friary’s working life and later set into the walkway floors.
If you have children with you, the warren of arches and side rooms keeps them occupied; this is one ruin that rewards being wandered rather than read.
Walking and the river
The friary sits on the Black River Walk, a gentle riverside trail that runs for several kilometres and links to the Corrib Heritage Trail. The Black River marks the old boundary between Galway and Mayo before it empties into Lough Corrib, and the path is good for birdwatching and easy enough for families. Cyclists can reach it on the quiet lanes off the N84 north of Headford.
Visiting
- Best light – early morning or late afternoon, for soft light and fewer people. The site faces east, so the cloisters catch the sunrise.
- Facilities – there are none on site, and no toilets, so sort that out in Headford first.
- Dogs – allowed on a lead, but check current OPW guidance before relying on it.
- Accessibility – the ground is uneven and the entrance crosses a cattle grid; it is not wheelchair-friendly.
- Livestock – cattle sometimes wander through the ruins, a long-standing local arrangement; mind your footing and keep your distance.
One honest caveat: it is unguided, with only interpretive panels for context, so a little reading beforehand makes a far better visit than turning up cold.
Getting there
- By car – about 28km north of Galway city via the N84, a 35-minute drive. A small free car park sits beside the entrance gate.
- By bus – Bus Éireann Route 456 runs from Galway Bus Station to Headford; the friary is a 2.5km walk north-west from there.
- By bike – the N84 north to Headford then local roads, roughly 1.5 to 2 hours from the city.
Nearby
The Anglers Rest Hotel, Greenfield Lodge and Lisdonagh House offer accommodation, and Headford has Campbell’s Tavern, McHughs Café and the Sunflower Café for food; Campbell’s runs occasional music sessions. Within easy reach are Carraigín Castle on Lough Corrib, the Kilconnell Franciscan friary, the Cistercian ruins at Abbeyknockmoy within 20km, and the Abbert River, a trout fishery with its own abbey.