Located on gently sloping land near the Carrowmore River, which forms a natural boundary along its northwestern edge with a sharp drop to the water below, this ancient religious site reveals layers of Irish Christian heritage through its collection of stone crosses, enclosures and archaeological features. Though a modern road now divides the monuments, they clearly once formed part of a single, larger monastic precinct that served as a centre of religious life for centuries.

The visible remains tell a fascinating story of early Irish Christianity. On the western side of the road, a rectangular graveyard enclosure is marked by low stone walls and modern field boundaries, with two jamb stones suggesting an ancient entrance near the southwest corner. Within and around this space stand several important monuments: a tall plain cross, a possible cross slab partially buried in the ground, and what may be the base of a high cross atop a flat boulder. East of the road stands another cross, surrounded by a small cairn of stones that might have served as a penitential station where pilgrims performed acts of penance. Near the northeastern boundary, a holy well once provided sacred water for the monastery’s inhabitants and visitors, though it has since been closed up.

Recent archaeological investigations have revealed the true extent of this monastic site beneath the surface. In 2012, magnetometer surveys uncovered a bi-vallate ecclesiastical enclosure; essentially two concentric circular boundaries with the inner one measuring 60 metres across and the outer reaching 115 metres in diameter. Excavations of these boundaries revealed impressive defensive ditches, with the outer ditch measuring 3.6 metres wide and over 1.6 metres deep, whilst the inner boundary featured a sharp V-shaped profile cut 1.55 metres into the ground. Radiocarbon dating places the site’s most active period between AD 590 and 1160, with evidence of metalworking, including iron slag and debris, suggesting the monastery was not just a place of prayer but also a centre of craft production. Small round pebbles found in the ditch fills, likely gaming counters, offer an intriguing glimpse into the daily life of the monks who once called Carrowmore home.