Places near here
Photo credits
- Lobster1, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
- National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
- No machine-readable author provided. Christian1965~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims)., Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
- N Chadwick, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Sitomon, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Steve & Jemma Copley on Flickr, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
- C Michael Hogan, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Hugh Thomson, Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
Saint Mary's Church (Cong)Church/chapel · 123 ydExplorer Tom Saint Mary's Church in Strandhill swears locals knock on its left wall for good luck, though I doubt it works. Joseph Welland designed it to be serious, but it looks permanently confused. Pretend you're a lost aris
bridge232 ydExplorer Tom Bridge in Strandhill is where the priest lost a bet about canal depth. He still hasn't paid up, and the arch looks smug about it. Stand still and listen, you can hear the coins clinking.
Cong AbbeyHeritage attraction · 319 ydExplorer Tom Cong Abbey gives you a king, a famous cross and a medieval fishing trick. I arrived with a sandwich and immediately felt underprepared. Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair, often called Ireland's last High King, spent his final fifteen years here and died in 1198. The surviving abbey buildings are mainly thirteenth century, with carved doorways worth more than my quick glance. Its last nominal abbot, Patrick Prendergast, kept the Cross of Cong safe until he died in 1829; the cross later went to the Royal Irish Academy. By the River Cong, the monks' little fishing house sits above flowing water, with a floor trapdoor said to have helped keep fish fresh. I would still manage to lose my lunch there. The abbey is a national monument with outdoor remains; follow current access signs and take care near the water and old masonry. Look for the fishing house after the church, and give those practical monks their due.
Quiet Man StatueStatue · 327 yd
European Yew372 ydExplorer Tom European Yew has been hiding a scandal where it accidentally poisoned a local farmer in 1890 and never told anyone. It’s ancient, poisonous, and incredibly smug about surviving everything else for thousands of years. Ideal stop for a big stretch and a bigger yawn.
TonacashlanCastle, unclassified · 417 ydExplorer Tom Tonacashlan in Cong South would handle a nosey neighbour with a polite but firm shove. Edmond of Cong built it, but now it’s just a spot beside the abbey pretending to be mysterious. Tell your mates you found it first.
Silver Fir599 ydExplorer Tom Silver Fir in County Galway is standing there acting like it invented the concept of looking mysterious. Apparently, if you don’t wave hello, a curse strikes you with intense boredom and dry socks. Wave fast before your dignity hits the dirt.
Kelly's CaveCave · 718 ydOileán na nAnamIslet · 1571 ydExplorer Tom Oileán na nAnam is where a fiddler played all night until the ghosts joined in on the second verse. He stopped when his fingers cramped, but the music somehow kept going for another hour into the morning mist. Find the date carved somewhere and feel clever.
Stone Circle1685 ydExplorer Tom Stone Circle in Glebe (kilmaine By.) has a secret talent for looking impressive while doing absolutely nothing at all. It sits on a rise and judges your parking skills from afar. Stop the car, it's worth the hazard lights.
Easter IslandIslet · 1.2 mi
Ballymacgibbon CairnArchaeological place · 1.9 miMore caves in County Mayo · All of County Mayo
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