Explore medieval ruins at Cork's Bridgetown Priory

An interesting tomb, a 13th-century church and a calefactory at this rambling ruin on the western bank of the Blackwater — this site is open to the public and free to explore

Bridgetown Priory in north Cork. Picture: Neil Jackman/ Tuatha.ie

The north of County Cork is often overlooked by visitors but it has much to offer: from megalithic tombs to towns with medieval origins, the fertile lands around the Blackwater have long attracted people to settle. There is a wealth of significant archaeological monuments, representing millennia of stories.

It is an area particularly rich in medieval heritage. One of the best places to discover this is at Bridgetown Priory, an atmospheric rambling ruin nestled on the western bank of the Blackwater. The priory was founded in the early 13th century by Alexander FitzHugh Roche, the Anglo-Norman Lord of nearby Castletownroche. He donated the site to the Augustinian Order, with 13 carucates of woodland, pasture and arable land.