Inch Abbey – Downpatrick, Northern Ireland - Atlas Obscura
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Inch Abbey

Downpatrick, Northern Ireland

A medieval abbey featured on 'Game of Thrones' that dates back to the 12th century. 

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Inch Abbey Aubrey Dale (Creative Commons)
Inch Abbey Aubrey Dale (Creative Commons)
Ruins of the 12th century Cistercian monastery, Inch Abbey robdowling (Atlas Obscura User)
Inch Abbey Signage jddarcy (Atlas Obscura User)
Inch Abbey Ardfern (Creative Commons)
Inch Abbey was the location where Robb Stark became 'King in the North'. robdowling (Atlas Obscura User)
Inch Abbey landscape robdowling (Atlas Obscura User)
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Inch Abbey was originally the location of a church called Inis Cumhscraigh situated on an island in the Quoile Rive marshes north of the Downpatrick. Only fragments of this church survive. It was plundered by the Vikings in 1002 in a raid led by Sitric, king of the Danes.

The Norman Knight John de Courcy and his wife Affreca replaced the early church in 1177 with a Cistercian monastery and populated it with monks from Furness Abbey in northern England. He commissioned one of these monks, a man called Jocelyn of Barrow-in-Furness, to re-write the legends of St Patrick and it might have been at Inch that the story of St Patrick banishing the snakes from Ireland was written. This legend refers to the ousting of evil from the Island of Ireland, with the snake as a symbol of Druidic magical practices.

The abbey features gorgeous grounds and offers a breathtaking view of the River Quoile. Downpatrick Cathedral, the resting place of Saint Patrick, can be seen off in the distance.

Game of Thrones fans might recognize these ruins as the place where Robb Stark was called out to be the “King in the North” by his supporters.

Know Before You Go

The ruins are open year-around. 

churches ruins history & culture
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Added by
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Rob Dowling
jddarcy
robdowling
Edited by
Rob Dowling, jddarcy, robdowling
Published
September 11, 2019
Updated
July 31, 2024
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