Derrynane Abbey

The foundation and growth of Derrynane Abbey are tied to its recorded community, patrons and rebuilding. Derrynane Abbey also known as Ahamore Abbey (Irish: Mainistir Achaidh Mhóir) is a ruined abbey in Derrynane in County Kerry, Ireland. The main church, like the other buildings, is overgrown and contains a number of graves, including those of Mary O'Connell (wife of Daniel O'Connell) and the nineteenth-century Gaelic poet, Tomás Rua Ó Súilleabháin.

The named people and dated events give Derrynane Abbey its human meaning. The three arched windows of the church are in good condition even though they are facing the sea. In the graveyard surrounding the abbey, there is tomb made of white tile which has been chipped away in places.

Closure, attack, reuse and repair explain why only the present fabric of Derrynane Abbey survives. There are only 3 interconnecting buildings of the abbey left, all without a roof. The other two buildings have little else of note but graves.

Derrynane Abbey matters because its exact story preserves evidence for a wider change in Kerry, not merely because the name sounds historic. It is located near the town of Caherdaniel and is very close to Derrynane House, the house of Daniel O'Connell. The abbey is on an island appropriately named Abbey Island.