Derrynaflan Heritage Trail

Follow the Derrynflan Heritage Trail and discover incredible places in Tipperary like Holycross Abbey and Kilcooley Abbey.

The Derrynaflan Trail will lead you around the beautiful landscape of the Slieve Ardagh region in County Tipperary, and through thousands of years of history by following in the footsteps of some of the first Christians in Ireland.

The remains of these wonderfully atmospheric and evocative sites have suffered Viking raids, the dissolution of the monasteries under King Henry VIII, Cromwell’s armies and the ravages of time and still have a great story to tell. Our guide takes you to sites like Holycross Abbey, one of the finest and most visited monastic sites in Ireland, Kilcooley Abbey with its incredible medieval sculpture, Buolick where you can see the remains of Norman fortifications alongside a fine towerhouse and beautiful church, Crohane where you will hear about a bloody battle where the tables were turned on a band of Viking raiders, and Derrynaflan itself; a peaceful and tranquil place, a church on a green island surrounded by bog, and the place where an incredible treasure was discovered.

This guide was produced in conjunction with Slieveardagh Rural Development, Holycross Community Network and Littleton Development Association.