Timoleague and Quin abbeys could be Ireland's Carcassonne

Romantic 'poetic decay' notions have left Ireland with crumbling abbeys, monasteries, and friaries. We should be inspired by a 19th century French man who put Carcassonne back on the map

The medieval city of Carcassonne in France was restored by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc. Ireland could well emulate his work on landmarks including Timoleague Abbey in Cork and Quin Abbey in Clare. Picture: iStock

You cannot truly say you have been to Ireland until you have driven into the village of Quin, County Clare, on the road that travels west from Scarriff.

Rounding a bend, you catch your first glimpse of the wonderful abbey with its slender tower rising from a sturdy limestone base. The people of West Cork might argue that the approach to Timoleague is even more striking than the approach to Quin. And then, of course, there’s Cashel…