Check access arrangements on the church’s website before travelling.
Ballingeary (Co. Cork)
Gougane Barra — St Finbarr’s hermitage
St Finbarr († c. 623), first bishop of Cork, is said to have lived as a hermit on an island in the lake of Gougane Barra in the mountains of West Cork. The island, reached by a causeway, has a small oratory (19th–20th c.) and ruined cells. The site is open all year, within a forest park.
- Where
- Gougane Barra island
- Address
- Gougane Barra, Ballingeary, Co. Cork · on the map
- Nearest church
- Holy Trinity Parish, St Peter's Church of Ireland, Church Hill, Carrigrohane, Cork
Clonmacnoise (Co. Offaly)
Clonmacnoise — St Ciarán’s monastery
St Ciarán of Clonmacnoise († c. 549), one of the "Twelve Apostles of Ireland", founded a monastery on the Shannon in 544 that became a great centre of learning. Church ruins, round towers and high crosses survive; the small "Temple Ciarán" is traditionally held to stand over his grave. His relics have not survived. The site is open to visitors (admission charge, visitor centre).
- Where
- Clonmacnoise monastic site
- Address
- Clonmacnoise, Shannonbridge, Co. Offaly · on the map
- Nearest church
- Holy Theophany Parish, Drum Community Centre, Summerhill, Crannagh, Athlone
Dublin
Dublin — relics of St Valentine
Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church (Roman Catholic) holds relics of St Valentine, a Roman priest martyred in the 3rd century. They were given by Pope Gregory XVI in 1836 and rest in a shrine in a side chapel. The church is open daily. Historical note: The relics were brought to Dublin from the Roman catacombs in 1836; their identification with Saint Valentine is a matter of tradition.
- Where
- Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church
- Address
- Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church, 56 Aungier Street, Dublin 2 · on the map
- Nearest church
- Holy Apostles Peter and Paul Parish, Mount Argus Road, Harold's Cross, Dublin
Glendalough (Co. Wicklow)
Glendalough — St Kevin’s monastery
St Kevin (Coemgen, † c. 618), an Irish hermit, founded in the Glendalough valley one of the great monasteries of early Ireland. The round tower, cathedral ruins, "St Kevin's Church" and the cave known as "St Kevin's Bed" above the Upper Lake survive. His relics have not been preserved. The site is open all year, with a visitor centre nearby.
- Where
- Glendalough monastic site
- Address
- Glendalough, Co. Wicklow · on the map
- Nearest church
- Holy Apostles Peter and Paul Parish, Mount Argus Road, Harold's Cross, Dublin
Kildare
Kildare — relic of St Brigid
St Brigid of Kildare († c. 525), founder of a double monastery at Kildare, is one of Ireland's patron saints. On 28 January 2024 a fragment of her skull, kept for centuries in Lisbon, was brought back to Kildare and placed for permanent veneration in St Brigid's Parish Church (Roman Catholic). The town also has St Brigid's Cathedral (Church of Ireland) on the site of her monastery and St Brigid's Well at Tully.
- Where
- St Brigid's Parish Church
- Address
- St Brigid's Parish Church, Kildare Town, Co. Kildare · on the map
- Nearest church
- Holy Apostles Peter and Paul Parish, Mount Argus Road, Harold's Cross, Dublin
Murrisk, Westport (Co. Mayo)
Croagh Patrick — St Patrick’s mountain
St Patrick († c. 461), Enlightener of Ireland, is said to have spent forty days fasting and praying on this mountain in 441. A chapel stands on the summit (764 m); the climb on a rocky path takes 3–4 hours. The main pilgrimage, "Reek Sunday", is held on the last Sunday of July.
- Where
- Croagh Patrick mountain
- Address
- Croagh Patrick, Murrisk, Westport, Co. Mayo · on the map
- Nearest church
- St Tikhon of Moscow Community, The Monastery, 3 Upper Chapel St, Garryduff, Castlebar
