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festivals · Friday 26 June 2026 · 7:30 PM 
Lorrha Monastic Village Tours
At Lorrha Monastic Village · Lorrha, Co. Tipperary
At Lorrha Monastic Village · Lorrha, Co. Tipperary
Every Thursday evening from late June through to early September, the Lorrha Heritage Group opens up one of the oldest monastic sites in Ireland for a guided walking tour. Lorrha has been a place of prayer and scholarship since St Ruadhan founded a monastery here in 540 AD. If you have an interest in early Irish Christianity, medieval history, or want to see a village where the ruins genuinely outnumber the modern buildings, this is worth the drive north Tipperary way.
The tour takes in the main sites across the village, led by a local guide named James. You move between two distinct clusters of ruins. At the east end: the remains of two 8th-century high crosses, the Augustinian Priory, St Ruadhan’s Church (built on the foundations of that original 6th-century settlement), and St Ruadhan’s Well. At the west end stands the Dominican Priory, founded in 1269 by Walter de Burgo, Earl of Ulster, and dedicated to St Peter of Verona.
The wider area also holds two Norman tower house castles - Lackeen Castle, the stronghold of the O’Kennedy chieftains, and Redwood Castle, seat of the MacEgans, a family renowned across medieval Ireland as lawyers and scholars. Guides bring the stories to life: monks, high kings, Viking raids, and the upheavals that left these buildings roofless. Evening light on old limestone makes for good photographs, and the pace is relaxed enough for most visitors.
Book through the Facebook page “Lorrha Walking History Heritage Tours” or check lorrhahistory.ie for current details.
Lorrha sits in north Tipperary, close to the borders with Offaly and Galway, roughly 20 kilometres north of Nenagh and about 15 kilometres west of Birr. From Dublin the most direct route is via the M7 to Nenagh, then north through Portroe; from Galway come via Portumna and across. There is no regular public transport serving Lorrha directly, so a car is needed. Parking in the village is informal and on-street, which is typical for a small rural settlement - there is room, particularly in the evenings.
The north Tipperary countryside here is quiet and largely off the tourist trail. Lough Derg is less than 20 kilometres to the south, and the River Shannon forms the county boundary a few kilometres to the west. There is more to see in Lorrha and across Co. Tipperary.
Heading to Lorrha Monastic Village in Lorrha? Tipperary has plenty more to see. Read the Lorrha area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.