Old Franciscan Friary
Old Franciscan Friary
4.5
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
4.5
42 reviews
Excellent
24
Very good
11
Average
6
Poor
1
Terrible
0
Chris H
Peterborough, Canada33 contributions
May 2012 • Couples
This is not the best preserved example of a Friary in the Republic, but if you're staying in Adare or driving through the area it is definitely worth a stop. It's location is more than beautiful, set on the side of the river, and..... on a golf course. You will have to get permission to view it. We had no problem as we were staying at Adare Manor.
The cloister is well preserved. Much of the rest of the site is in varying states of ruin. On a nice day it is a great spot for photographs and a personal trip to the past. Nice spot.
The cloister is well preserved. Much of the rest of the site is in varying states of ruin. On a nice day it is a great spot for photographs and a personal trip to the past. Nice spot.
Written 21 May 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hokiecoyote
Wrightwood, CA186 contributions
The Franciscan Friary is privately owned and sits within the Adare Manor Golf Course (not to be confused with the Adare Golf Course on the grounds of the Adare Manor). You can walk out to the Friary free of charge although you need to be wary of golfers and golf balls. I recommend that you follow the gravel path initially and then follow the tree line since you will be crossing several fairways.
Written 3 August 2008
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chimemark
Adare, Ireland103 contributions
Sept 2014
These are pleasant ruins to walk around on a nice day. It's just a pity it has to be done via an organised bus trip from the heritage centre. This needs to be opened up to the public with a small car park out front and a path from the village for access. Best views are from the bridge, but you are taking your life in your hands trying to cross it with the traffic.
Written 7 August 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Anne S
Minneapolis, MN331 contributions
Jun 2015 • Family
We took the Desmond Castle tour and our guide, Vera, shared with us that these little abbey ruins were located on private golf club grounds but she emphatically told us that the city constitution says we cannot be denied access if we chose to visit it. I am so glad we did!
While it's not the largest ruins we visited on our trips to Ireland, there was just something enchanting about it to me. Because we took the tour of the castle, some of the history of the city, the castle and the various abbeys/churchs in the area were explained to us. So, following our tour, we walked through the little town of Adare and on the way out, made a point to stop at the golf course to let them know we would be visiting. It is required to stop, but they just warn you to watch for flying golf balls. It's not an idle threat either! As we walked the 10 minutes or so along the path, we often stopped for golfers teeing off and kept our eyes peeled for flying balls. What a hoot, to be honest! It added an unexpected element of fun, surprise and spontaneity to the little visit!
Once you get to the ruins, it's a photographer's dream. It was June and so beautiful. The golf greens behind it, the beautiful stone work and gorgeous maroon/purple flowers growing out of the stonework. Inside were archways, etc. It was just beautiful! We wandered around for probably much longer than necessary to see it all, admiring it and getting a huge kick out of the fact it is right dab in the middle of this golf course!
Historians will appreciate the Desmond Castle tour before a visit here - you'll learn that John Wesley used to preach here and that the area had a (large) German population at one point. Over time, family names were changed slightly to make them "more Irish." (Good grief, I hope I am remembering this all correctly!!)
So well worth the time to walk through and take a peek - we loved it! I hope you will too!
While it's not the largest ruins we visited on our trips to Ireland, there was just something enchanting about it to me. Because we took the tour of the castle, some of the history of the city, the castle and the various abbeys/churchs in the area were explained to us. So, following our tour, we walked through the little town of Adare and on the way out, made a point to stop at the golf course to let them know we would be visiting. It is required to stop, but they just warn you to watch for flying golf balls. It's not an idle threat either! As we walked the 10 minutes or so along the path, we often stopped for golfers teeing off and kept our eyes peeled for flying balls. What a hoot, to be honest! It added an unexpected element of fun, surprise and spontaneity to the little visit!
Once you get to the ruins, it's a photographer's dream. It was June and so beautiful. The golf greens behind it, the beautiful stone work and gorgeous maroon/purple flowers growing out of the stonework. Inside were archways, etc. It was just beautiful! We wandered around for probably much longer than necessary to see it all, admiring it and getting a huge kick out of the fact it is right dab in the middle of this golf course!
Historians will appreciate the Desmond Castle tour before a visit here - you'll learn that John Wesley used to preach here and that the area had a (large) German population at one point. Over time, family names were changed slightly to make them "more Irish." (Good grief, I hope I am remembering this all correctly!!)
So well worth the time to walk through and take a peek - we loved it! I hope you will too!
Written 27 July 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
pglejm
Santa Cruz, CA4,486 contributions
Apr 2014 • Friends
Our group was treated to a special tour of the Friary by this wonderfully sweet lady Vera from the Tourist office. Wow...what a wealth of information she was and delivered it with a lot of spunk! The friary is from the mid 1400s, is in the middle of a golf course and really is a beautiful ruin that lets you see how a village/castle use to operate. You can go up some new steps to see the interior, walk the grounds and see where the kitchen/oven might have been, see how the nearby river played into their daily lives, etc. Tour guide is essential, otherwise you're just looking at ruins.
Written 12 May 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
EVFK
Poolesville, MD65 contributions
Aug 2013 • Family
We visited the Friary after taking a bus from the Adare Vistor's Center. We enjoyed all aspects of the trip, especially the ride to the Friary where we were able to learn all about the history of the various buildings in Adare. If you are a history buff, you will LOVE this tour. To actually be in the middle of the Old Franciscan Friary is just like stepping back in time. It is a beautiful place with many centuries of history that you will learn about when you take the tour! Don't miss it!
Written 12 December 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
El H
Australia384 contributions
Dec 2012
good bit of history to get to see ireland is dripping with history nice to get to see it up close and personal
Written 15 March 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kathryne G
Winnipeg, Canada546 contributions
Apr 2012 • Couples
We wanted to spend the morning of Good Friday in a quiet manner.
The religious orders of old liked to settle on good land beside a river, and no less than three groups of monks made the countryside of Adare their home during the Middle Ages.
My sister in law had planned on attending the Trinitarian Abey otherwise known as the “White Abbey” in the centre of the village. It had been restored by the First Earl of Dunraven as a Roman Catholic Parish Church. My husband and I were attending the Church of Ireland services that afternoon at the Augustinian Priory (or the Black Friars’ Abey) which was founded in 1315 by John, Earl of Kildare.
So it was fitting that we spend the morning at the Franciscan Friary ruins in the demesne, beside the clubhouse of the Adare Manor Golf Course. We understand that full tours of the ruins of Adare are available through the Adare Heritage Centre during peak vacation times. In April though the best you can do (if you have anyone with mobility issues) is tour the Franciscan Friary Ruins.
After 1756 John Wesley paid several visits to Adare and the site of the tree where he preached is marked. Here perhaps? The quiet time that we spent at the ruins that Good Friday morning was absolutely fascinating
This is essentially a pictoral review, so please feel free to see my blog post for all the photos at: http://foodmusings.ca/ireland/the-ruins-of-adare/
The religious orders of old liked to settle on good land beside a river, and no less than three groups of monks made the countryside of Adare their home during the Middle Ages.
My sister in law had planned on attending the Trinitarian Abey otherwise known as the “White Abbey” in the centre of the village. It had been restored by the First Earl of Dunraven as a Roman Catholic Parish Church. My husband and I were attending the Church of Ireland services that afternoon at the Augustinian Priory (or the Black Friars’ Abey) which was founded in 1315 by John, Earl of Kildare.
So it was fitting that we spend the morning at the Franciscan Friary ruins in the demesne, beside the clubhouse of the Adare Manor Golf Course. We understand that full tours of the ruins of Adare are available through the Adare Heritage Centre during peak vacation times. In April though the best you can do (if you have anyone with mobility issues) is tour the Franciscan Friary Ruins.
After 1756 John Wesley paid several visits to Adare and the site of the tree where he preached is marked. Here perhaps? The quiet time that we spent at the ruins that Good Friday morning was absolutely fascinating
This is essentially a pictoral review, so please feel free to see my blog post for all the photos at: http://foodmusings.ca/ireland/the-ruins-of-adare/
Written 26 April 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Erin N
Wellington, CO141 contributions
Sept 2017 • Couples
There are a lot of ruins on this golf course. You have to ask permission to go on, watch for and be respectful of golfers, and be mindful of the space you are in. It is so beautiful though. The day was just perfect for some gorgeous pictures.
Written 11 February 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rich C
Cochranville, PA93 contributions
Oct 2013 • Family
This place absolutely blew me away. It is on the 15th hole at the Adare Manor Golf Resort. The grounds keeper mentioned it to us as a second thought. He said we have many castles and ruins over here "and we don't pay it much mind". Hard to believe.
Construction started 28 years before Columbus discovered...can you imagine. Most of the walls seem to be there but anything wood has long since decomposed back to soil and now supports the lush greenery that abounds the interior. The center courtyard is surrounded by a windowed hallway that frames a tree that has to be hundreds of years old. You can only imagine what a wonderful place this was to sit and meditate as it still awesome today.
This is a must see if you are in the area of Adare, stop at the visitors center in town for more information.
See my video at YouTube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YE2Y27i6XUM
Gor Google "Rich and Pat Travel The Adare Friary"
Mind the golfers, watch out for the golf balls...
Construction started 28 years before Columbus discovered...can you imagine. Most of the walls seem to be there but anything wood has long since decomposed back to soil and now supports the lush greenery that abounds the interior. The center courtyard is surrounded by a windowed hallway that frames a tree that has to be hundreds of years old. You can only imagine what a wonderful place this was to sit and meditate as it still awesome today.
This is a must see if you are in the area of Adare, stop at the visitors center in town for more information.
See my video at YouTube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YE2Y27i6XUM
Gor Google "Rich and Pat Travel The Adare Friary"
Mind the golfers, watch out for the golf balls...
Written 12 October 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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