Abbeyknockmoy possesses one of the best surviving examples of medieval wall painting in Ireland, protected under the vault of the presbytery. Paintings feature the popular medieval tale of the Three Living and Three Dead Kings, intended to remind viewers of the inevitability of death, and an image of the martyrdom of St. Sebastian, the saint invoked for protection from plague. The east end of the abbey is the work of the so-called ‘School of the West’, a group of masons renowned for their fine stone carvings and idiosyncratic sculptural detailing. Good examples of their work can be seen on the east windows and the carved head of a king – possibly Cathal Croibhdhearg, located in the nave.
Guides:
Colm Murray, Architecture Officer, The Heritage Council
Dr Karena Morton, Head of Conservation, National Museum of Ireland
Free / Meet at Abbeyknockmoy graveyard carpark
Accessibility The abbey is located down a short walk from the graveyard carpark to the north of Abbeyknockmoy town. There is a stile (a passage over a fence via steps and a narrow gap) that might prove difficult to those with mobility issues.
Dr Karena Morton has been Head of Conservation at the National Museum of Ireland, based at the Museum of Country Life, Mayo, since March 2017. Karena’s PhD. thesis was on Irish Medieval Wall Painting. She worked for fifteen years as a freelance conservator of archaeological finds and wall paintings, particularly ones of late medieval date.
