A quiet, open-field ruin 2km south of Buttevant, where a 13th-century Augustinian priory and one of Ireland's best-preserved medieval dovecotes stand in the grass.
Wander the roofless remains of the church and claustral ranges, plus the sedilia and three stone-built burial chests. A National Monument in OPW guardianship, it is an unguided site and you should take care on the uneven ground.
Inside the priory, a 13th-century window has a banded shaft bearing a foliage capital carved with three small human faces. Two animal heads with open mouths served as rope-holes, and a human head is carved on the piers.
North of the priory stands a medieval tower entered through a three-centred arch, with slit windows in its walls, a partially collapsed wicker vault ceiling and traces of a garderobe chute. It is thought to have formed part of the site's defences.
The circular columbarium, or dovecot, is perfectly preserved and holds a continuous upward spiral of 352 nesting boxes. Such a structure speaks to the priory's medieval wealth: under medieval law each pigeon nest required 1¼ acres of land.
The ruins sit in open countryside and you can picnic on site to enjoy the scenery and the building. There is no cafe or shop here, so bring whatever you need.
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