A village that at first seems unremarkable, Clonard in County Meath, situated on the main Dublin-Galway roadhides a lot more history than meets the eye. This cache could be a welcome break for a traveller between the two cities.
St. Finian's Monastry
The 6th Century monastry, was founded by St.Finian, who is generally regarded as the father of Irish Monasticism.He studied at Llancarfan in Wales and formed the belief that the ascetic life offered the best way of consecrating one's life to God. It was a belief well-suited to Ireland, with its population dispersed in small rural kingdoms.
Finian's first monastery was at Aghowle, Co. Wicklow, but he settled c. 520 at Clonard, Co. Meath, on the River Boyne. Clonard becarne the most famous monastic school of the sixth century, its importance derived from the number of disciples who left to found other monasteries.
Finian's most prominent pupils have been called the twelve apostles of Ireland. The saint died of plague c. 549, but the monastery at Clonard survived until the sixteenth century. The Church of Ireland (Protestant) church which was built on the Monastic site contains a fine octagonal 15th Century Baptismal Font and a well with supposed healing powers for warts is situated in the Church Cemetery.
Norman Motte and Bailey site
Located directly across from the Monastry site, the rather obvious dome-shaped hill with the prominent Lime tree is a fascinating sight and well-known landmark in the area. Local legend attributes stories of lost treasure and fairy gatherings to the man-made mound.
1798 Rebellion
During the rising of the United Irishmen in 1798, on July 11th the Kildare army attack the Garrison at Clonard, but are repulsed. Some of the dead men, named 'croppies', are buried in the graveyard across from the Monastery Pub on the main Road. There is also some more local history to be read on the walls of this establishment.
Royal Canal
The Royal Canal passes Clonard around 3km away - there is a small mooring site for boats at Hill of Down, signposted from the cache site. The Royal Canal, sometimes called ‘The Shoemaker’s Canal’ from a linking one of its early promoters with such a craft, always played second fiddle to its better known cousin, the Grand Canal, which takes a more southerly route across the midlands.
The Royal was fourteen years behind the Grand Canal in making the link between Dublin and the Shannon in the early 19th century; it never carried the same volume of traffic; and it had effectively ceased to be used as a commercial waterway in 1951 while there was still some level of traffic on the Grand Canal. However what it lacks in its commercial history compared to the Grand Canal it more than compensates by its route which is rich in the landmarks of history.
