About
On the bank of the Clarin river in the walled town of Athenry, the Dominican priory church of Saints Peter and Paul was founded in 1241 by Meyler de Bermingham, who bought the site for 160 marks and lies here beneath a grave slab over two metres long. The nave and chancel are of 1241, the north aisle and transept were added in 1324, and the tower followed in 1425 after a fire; two piers still mark where it stood. The church alone survives, its walls standing to full height, lit by six lancets in the nave and seven in the chancel and by a later traceried east window. Inside are a cusped triple sedilia, a carved bishop's head, a wall monument with the Virgin and Child and two dolphins. The outside can be walked round at any time, and reviewers recommend collecting the key from Athenry Castle reception, a few minutes' walk away, to see inside.
Open in daylightFrom OPW Heritage Ireland's published times
- Open any reasonable time in daylight
Opening times may change at short notice.
An unguided open-air national monument in OPW's care with no staff and no facilities. OPW warns that care and caution should be kept throughout a visit to its unguided sites.
OPW's notice: a key to access the priory is available at Athenry Castle reception with a €10 deposit. Athenry Castle's 2026 season runs to 5 November; OPW does not say where the key is held in winter.
The graveyard and the outside of the church are open at all times, with information boards at the entrance. Uneven ground among graveslabs in a graveyard still in use; the church is entered by a doorway in the north transept. No toilets at the priory.
Photo: Athenry Priory from the north-east, the traceried east window of the chancel and the north transept rising above the graveyard. Andreas F. Borchert, CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Athenry_Priory_NE_2009_09_13.jpg. Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0. Resized and cropped for display; derivatives retain the source licence.
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