Abbeyknockmoy Abbey

Knockmoy Abbey is a Cistercian ruin in a quiet open valley in County Galway, founded around 1190 by Cathal O'Connor, the last Irish King of Connaught. The foundation came immediately after the 1189 Battle of Knockroe, in which O'Connor defeated Norman forces — the abbey is said to have been his act of thanksgiving for that victory. The Romanesque church retains legible vaulting sprigs and a largely intact chancel, making it one of the more substantial early Cistercian remains in the west of Ireland. A designated National Monument, the site is freely accessible and sees little tourist traffic, set amid open pastureland that adds to its contemplative atmosphere.