Kilcrea Friary(Mainistir Chill Cré) — Attraction in Municipal District of Macroom

A serene and haunting monument to Gaelic piety and power in late medieval Ireland

Kilcrea Friary is one of the most evocative monastic ruins in Munster, founded around 1465 by Cormac Láidir MacCarthy, the powerful Lord of Muskerry, as a Franciscan foundation in the final flowering of native Gaelic patronage before the English Crown tightened its grip on Ireland.

The friary is remarkably well-preserved, with its church, cloister arcade, sacristy, chapter house, and domestic ranges still legible in the stonework. The east window in particular is striking — a fine example of late Gothic tracery — and the cloister walk evokes the quiet rhythm of medieval Franciscan life: prayer, study, and community service.

What makes Kilcrea so special is its enduring sense of connection. Cormac MacCarthy himself is buried here, along with generations of local nobility and clergy. Even today, the graveyard is in active use, blending the sacred past and present. This isn’t just a ruin; it’s a place that still breathes meaning for the surrounding community.

The friary also pairs beautifully with nearby Kilcrea Castle, just a short walk across the fields — together they form one of the most compelling surviving Gaelic lordship landscapes in Ireland, where secular and spiritual power stood side by side.

There’s no entry fee, no gates, and usually no crowds. Just you, the wind, the stone, and 550 years of Irish history. A must-visit for anyone interested in monastic architecture, late medieval Ireland, or the quiet persistence of memory in the...

Beautiful ruins with alot of history to the area. Very old graves on site so please be respectful and take your rubbish back to the car with you. Also across from the Friary is kilcrea Castle when you come out from the gate. There is plaques showing the history of this area here aswell. Well worth the day out for here and the castle. Highly recommend. Irish history ❤️🇮🇪 I will be posting full video tour soon along with the castle tour on my YouTube channel Chris the rockers days out ❤️😉 full show around friary and the castle need to edit videos then...

Great stories behind this historiacal attraction. Walking through the ruins of Kilcrea Friary really makes you think and wonder what life was like in the days of its prime. For anyone who is intrested in leanrning and expanding there knowledge of Irish history and how life was back in the times of lords and ladys would love Kilcrea. Its also just a beatiful scenic place to stroll around on a...