Welcome to Inishmacsaint

The island, Inis-maige-samh, or ‘Island of the Sorrel Plain’ has an unrivalled beauty and sense of spiritually. The monastic site on Inishmacsaint Island was founded in 530AD by St Ninnidh, grandson of Laoghaire, High King of Ireland. St. Ninnidh is known to have travelled the shores of Lough Erne in a hollowed-out boat visiting local churches with his priests and monks to spread the gospel.

The unusually large, plain sandstone cross dominates the landscape. Measuring four metres high, local legend tells of the cross rotating three times on Easter Morning. The cross is thought to date to the 12th century. The very presence of this cross and its height, which made it visible from a considerable distance, suggests that the island was place of pilgrimage.

The stone building we see can see today dates to the 12th century; by 1306 it was in use as a parish church. It was used up until the 18th century. The remains show a combination of building styles. Thus, the church was adapted and extended throughout centuries of use as a place of worship for the local community.

Inishmacsaint was an important burial site. The graveyard next to the church has burials dating from the 18th and 19th centuries. It is likely that there are much earlier burials on the island; these graves are now unmarked. A rectangular enclosure of about 60 metres from the church is believed to be a cillín (killeen), a burial ground for unbaptised children.

Nature Note: Wood sorrel
Word sorrel is an indicator of ancient woodland. Legend has it that it is a magical flower long associated with fairies. It is said that the flowers summon the fairies and elves to dance at midnight by the tinkling of their bell-shaped flowers. For that reason, wood sorrel is sometimes known as ‘Fairy Bells’. It acts as a weather-vane: the leaves fold up before and during rain and when it gets dark.