What is recorded here

Derrykeel holds an unlocated monastery founded by St. Mochoernog, yet no exact ruin or marker remains visible for a visitor to touch. The church may have vanished beneath soil, river or forgetting, leaving only a name behind. What is certain is that the site existed and belonged to Christian worship. What is lost is the shape of its halls, the sound of its prayers and the daily lives of the people who gathered there.

Previously classified as a Monastic complex, this term is now obsolete and no longer used by the Archaeological Survey of Ireland. Re-classified as an ecclesiastical site. Unlocated monastery within the townland of Derrykeel that was founded by St. Mochoernog (O'Flanagan 1927 vol. 2, 36-8). The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Offaly' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 23 May 2011

The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.