Muckross Abbey

Muckross Abbey was founded in 1448 as a Franciscan Friary.  It's central feature is the large yew tree you see below, which is as old as the abbey.  This abbey was raided several times, the most damaging by Oliver Cromwell's pal Edmund Ludlow in the 17th century.

We went inside, through this super dank, spooky room that my sister Heather WOULD HAVE HATED (Lizzie and I noted), and I ran up these teeny tiny steps to the top floor, which had the window you see below the stair case.  The second level had better views of the nifty yew tree.

Yews are often associated with spirituality in Ireland, because of their longevity.  They can live between 400-600 years, or possibly even longer (some have claimed 5000-9000 years) though it's impossible to tell their age from rings, as their branches hollow out as they add new bark.  According to our guide to Innisfallen (coming up next) yews were popular back in the day as their springy bark made good long bows, and their wood burned the hottest of any available.  The berries are also poisonous if you don't extract the little toxic core.  They won't necessarily kill humans unless you eat a ton, but maybe just eat some non-toxic berries instead.

People are still buried in the abbey graveyard, but only one or two a year, and you have to have a relative already in the abbey.