CLONMACNOIS’ HOLY GROUND

Clonmacnois is a holy ground. You will find signs of the Irish noble and deeply Christian past all around the site. Not only in Ireland, but also throughout Europe, Clonmacnois was a center of learning and holiness for over 1,000 years. Some of the most valuable books in Ireland were produced in Clonmacnois. Many people refer to it as the Westminster Abbey of Ireland. King and queens have been buried here for thousands of years. Over two hundred tombstones with inscriptions can be found among the ruins, which include two round towers, eight churches, three large sculptured crosses, a castle, and eight churches. Our times call for a deeper understanding of Clonmacnois, as well as all it represents.

No wonder that Saint Pope John Paul II, on his return to Rome, said of Clonmacnois: ‘I will never forget that place… the ruins of the monastery and churches speak of the life that once pulsated there… Whole generations of Europe owe to them the light of the Gospel. These ruins are still charged with a great mission. They still constitute a challenge.’

When he visited Knock, the Saint John Paul II had spelled out that challenge. In quite prophetic words he prayed that prosperity would never ’cause Irish men and women to forget God or abandon their faith.’ He pleaded that they would ‘remain faithful in prosperity to the faith they would not surrender in poverty’. He hoped that they would ‘build a just and peaceful and loving society where the poor are never neglected and the rights of all, especially the weak, are respected’.