Hello friends, Aidan here from Gifts of Ireland.
The church is said to have been founded by St. Colman, with parts of the site dating back to around the 11th or 12th century. The roof is long gone, and time has weathered the walls, but the shape of the old church is still easy to make out.
It has that quiet feeling you only get in places like this, no grand display, no crowds, just old stone, open sky, and a sense that it has stood exactly where it was meant to for centuries.
As we walked around the ruins, I noticed something unusual built into the wall: a stone carved with Ogham script, Ireland’s oldest form of writing. It turned out to be the first of two Ogham stones we found at Church clara. One had been reused as a windowsill, while the other was discovered during restoration work.
Ogham was used in early medieval Ireland to mark names, places, and family connections. The writing itself is made from simple lines, but seeing it set into the wall of an old church gives it real power. It is a quiet reminder that this place carries layers of Irish history, from early writing and ancient memory to faith and worship.
Outside, the graveyard was filled with Celtic cross headstones, each one carved with its own detail and care. Some had been softened by time, while others still stood strong, but all carried a quiet sense of meaning.
One grave in particular made me pause. It belonged to an Irish soldier from World War I who died in 1916. The marker was modest, but deeply moving. There is something powerful about finding that kind of history tucked away in a small country churchyard, a reminder that even quiet places can hold very human stories.
And, in perfect Irish fashion, a few horses were grazing in the field just behind the church. They paid us no heed at all, simply carrying on with their afternoon as if they had seen visitors come and go for generations. It added a lovely calm to the place, old stone, quiet fields, and the gentle sound of country life all around.
These small, unexpected places are exactly why I started the Gifts of Ireland journey. A quiet churchyard, an old carved stone, an Ogham marking in a wall, they all remind us that Irish heritage is not just found in famous landmarks. It lives in the details. Every symbol, carving, and meaningful piece we offer has roots in places like this, where Ireland’s story is still written in stone.
If the Celtic crosses at Church clara caught your eye, you may enjoy exploring our Celtic Cross Jewellery Collection. Each piece is crafted in Ireland and carries that same feeling of tradition, faith, and connection to the past. It is a meaningful way to keep a little piece of Irish heritage close, inspired by the ancient symbols still found in places like Church clara.
Watch the Visit
You can watch the full visit on YouTube Shorts and see the old church ruins, the Ogham stones, and the Celtic cross headstones for yourself.
Explore More Irish Stories
If you enjoyed this visit to Church clara, you may also like:
- The Irish Language: Ancient Ogham to the Revival
- Mass Rocks in Ireland During Penal Times
- The Magnificent Celtic Cross of Moone
Sometimes the quietest places hold the strongest connections. Church clara is one of those places, simple, peaceful, and full of Irish history if you take the time to look.
Slán go fóill,
Aidan 💚🇮🇪☘️
Love your trips Aiden thank you for the information! Hello from NY!