Inch Abbey, Downpatrick, Co. Down

We took a little trip to Inch Abbey in Downpatrick a few weeks ago, a secluded spot just off the main road before you come into the town. It was late afternoon/early evening as we arrived and the Abbey was vitrually abandoned except for the odd dog-walker passing through. Although it's not immediately obvious, Inch is an island which is accessed by a causeway. The River Quoile runs to the south with marshland surrounding it to the north. As you enter the grounds of Inch Abbey, the ruins are visible, and Downpatrick Cathedral can be seen in the far distance. Like many religious settlements, the Abbey was built on the site of a pre-existing settlement known as Inis-Cumhscraigh. Inis-Cumhscraigh is known to pre-date 800AD, although it suffered raids by the Vikings in 1001 and the Irish in 1149. John de Courcy built Inch Abbey for the Cistercian Order in 1180 in atonement for destroying Inis-Cumhscraigh during warfare in the area. John de Courcy is a name which seems to crop up time and again in the history of Ireland, mostly with reference to his strongholds at Carrickfergus and Dundrum. Among other things, though de Courcy and his wife Affrica were deeply religious and while de Courcy founded the Cistercian Abbey at Inch, Affrica is known to have founded Grey Abbey. Inch, however, was exclusively an English settlement and Irishmen were forbidden from entering the community in 1380. The ruins of the Abbey are open to visitors all year round free of charge. More information:

• http://www.btinternet.com/~pdevlinz/InchAbbey.htm
• http://www.ehsni.gov.uk/pubs/publications/InchAbbeyEng.pdf