Killaloe Cathedral

County Clare


Built by the O'Brien family on top of a 6th-century church, Killaloe Cathedral dates from the early 13th century. Astonishing carvings decorate the Romanesque southern doorway (on your right as you enter). Nearby is the c AD 1000 Thorgrim's Stone, a shaft of a stone cross unusually inscribed with both the old Scandinavian runic and Irish Ogham scripts. Other highlights include a 13th-century font.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby County Clare attractions

1. Brian Ború Heritage Centre

0.1 MILES

Inside the former lock keeper's cottage on the little islet Between the Waters, the Brian Ború Heritage Centre celebrates the local boy made good as the…

2. Beal Ború

1.02 MILES

The remains of this early-medieval ring fort are believed by some to have been Kincora, the fabled palace of the famous Irish king Brian Ború. His forces…

3. Wilde Irish Chocolates

7.68 MILES

At this heady open-plan factory you can watch chocolates being made and packed, and taste developmental and best-selling products (over 80 to date,…

4. Holy Island

7.71 MILES

Lying 2km offshore from Mountshannon, Holy Island (Inis Cealtra) is the site of a monastic settlement thought to have been founded by St Cáimín in the 7th…

5. Nenagh Heritage Centre

10.8 MILES

The 1840 Governor's House is an unusual octagonal stone building that was once at the centre of a 19th-century prison complex. Today it holds the Nenagh…

6. Nenagh Castle

10.89 MILES

Resembling a rook piece in a chess set and surrounded by cawing crows, this fine round tower dates from the 13th century and was once the seat of the…

7. Bishop's Palace

12.21 MILES

The 18th-century Bishop’s Palace was once home to the city's Protestant bishops, and now houses the offices of Limerick Civic Trust, a conservation body…

8. King John's Castle

12.24 MILES

An obdurate and brooding Norman mass looming over the River Shannon, Limerick's showpiece castle, with its vast curtain walls and towers, was built on the…