Product Code Database
Innisfallen ( ) or Inishfallen (from , meaning 'Faithlinn's island') is an island in Lough Leane in County Kerry, Ireland. Innisfallen is home to the ruins of Inisfallen Abbey, which was founded in the 7th century. The island is best known as the place where the Annals of Innisfallen were compiled, a medieval chronicle recording Irish history from late antiquity through the Middle Ages. The surviving ruins consist mainly of stone structures dating from the 10th to 12th centuries.
The location of the monastery on the island is thought to have given rise to the name Lough Leane (Irish language Loch Léin), which in English means "Lake of Learning". According to tradition the Irish High King Brian Boru received his education at Innisfallen under Maelsuthain O'Carroll. Maelsuthain has been credited as the possible originator of the Annals.
The Annals document recorded periods of unrest, including Viking raids and a notable attack in 1180 by the O’Donoghue clan, during which valuables were taken from the church. Following the Norman invasion of Ireland in the late 12th century, the monastery came under Augustinians control and was renamed the Priory of Saint Mary. In 1582, the religious community was dissolved under Elizabeth I, and ownership of the island passed through several hands before becoming part of the Kenmare estate. In 1973, Innisfallen Island was transferred into state ownership and incorporated into Killarney National Park.
The surviving ruins include several stone structures dating mainly from the 10th to 12th centuries. Near the lakeshore stands an oratory with a Romanesque doorway carved in a Norman Irish style, while the larger abbey church retains elements that may incorporate reused stone from earlier Irish-built churches. Other remains on the island include a small early church, domestic buildings associated with monastic life, and features such as a bullaun stone, typical of early Irish monastic sites.
|
|
