Starting in the town of Dingle in the West of Ireland, this one-day journey takes in three famous saints sites:
Sites to be Visited
Reask Monastic Site
Gallarus Oratory
Kilmalkedar Church
Journey to the Dingle Peninsula Saint Sites
The three sites can easily be visited in a day as the whole journey is 17.6 miles (28.3km).
Our journey starts in the town of Dingle on the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry in the west of Ireland. Dingle is situated in a Gaeltacht (primarily Irish-speaking) region, and it is located at IGR (Irish Grid Reference) Q445012.
Our first site is the Reask Monastic Site. Excavations in the 1990s revealed the ruins of an oratory, four clochans (stone huts), a graveyard, and about ten stone slabs.
A highlight of the site is a beautifully inscribed pillar stone that is almost 5-1/2 feet tall. The site is located 7.2 miles (11.5km) off of Slead Head Drive at IGR Q368045.
Detailed Driving Directions
Our journey's next destination, Gallarus Oratory, is an early Christian church only 2.2 miles (3.5km) away and located at IGR Q395048. Estimates of its age vary. Though the building is believed to have been built between the 7th Century A.D. and 9th Century A.D., some believe it could have been built as late as the 12th Century because of the Romanesque-style window on its eastern wall. Detailed Driving Directions
Our last site to be visited is Kilmalkedar Church. The ancient monastery of Kilmalkedar was founded in the 7th Century A.D> by St. Maolcethair. Despite this, the site is associated strongly with St. Brendan, who maintained a residence here according to legend. It is only 2.3 miles (3.7km) away and is located at Q4006. Inside the church is the alphabet stone with both 6th Century A.D. (and earlier) Latin writing and an inscribed cross.Also, a number of interesting objects are located outside of the church, including a tall Ogham stone perforated with a circular hole near the top, a large plain unfinished ringless cross, and a sundial stone marked in segments corresponding to the divisions of the monastic day.
Detailed Driving Directions
After visiting Kilmalkedar Church, return to Dingle, which is 5.9 miles (9.5km) away. Detailed Driving Directions
Addendum: There are many more interesting saints sites on the Dingle Peninsula. Here are a few that are not far from Dingle town:
Brandon Creek
Kilcolman Ecclesiastical Site
Kilfountain Ecclesiastical Site
St. Brendan;s Oratory
St. Manchan's Oratory
Visitors Information
Visitors information on the saints sites and general tourist information may be found at the Dingle Peninsula Tourism website.
Disclaimer
As of the date of this posting, road directions and conditions are correct. Please check local road conditions, however, for possible changes prior to venturing forth on this journey. A helpful resource for road changes and possible trip interruptions if you are travelling in England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland is the AA-UK Route Planner. Another map source that this website uses and that may be useful to you on your journeys is Streetmap UK.
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