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Go Ancient East Summer Edition
Things to see and do in Monaghan St. Peter’s Tin Church
Constructed of tin, St. Peter’s Tin Church Laragh is one of a kind in Co. Monaghan and unique on the island of Ireland for its quirky design and carefully considered features. It was listed as a Building of National Importance by National Inventory of Architectural Heritage in 2014. St. Peter’s of historic Laragh village is literally built on a rock, in a beautiful woodland. It is a very rare example of a nineteenth-century corrugated-iron-clad church. The community of Laragh formed a voluntary group in 2012 to ensure its survival and conservation. St. Peter’s Tin Church Laragh was re-opened in 2014 and is a very popular fringe venue for larger festival and touring musicians/drama groups in the region.
Muckno Mania Festival, Castleblaney
Muckno Mania festival promises fun and intrigue and is interactive and diverse event. This four day event in Castleblaney has become one of the most anticipated annual gathering in the North East. Emphasis on family entertainment and the focus on the arts ensure the festival’s success and popularity. To celebrate the its 20th year, Wilbert and his gang have decided to look back on all the fun memories with this year’s theme: Muckno Mania - 20 Years of Mania www.mucknomania.ie .
Free walking tours of Carrickmacross
Carrickmacross, is one of the few surviving market towns in Ireland. It was developed around a castle built by the Earl of Essex in 1630. The Convent of the St. Louis Nuns now stands on the original castle site. The area has a number of historical sites including the Round Tower in Inniskeen. St Patrick’s Cemetery Donaghmoyne is the final resting place of Cathal Bui Mac Giolla.It is home to the world famous Carrickmacross Lace. Walks will take place every Saturday morning from May 5 to September 29, departing from the Courthouse at 11am. The walk takes approximately 90 minutes. Everyone welcome and no booking is required.
The Patrick Kavanagh Trail, Inniskeen, County Monaghan
Discover the essence of a poet who saw the beauty in ordinary things and take the trail around Inniskeen. Start in the churchyard where he is buried, St. Marys, moving on to the ancient round tower that was once part of St. Daig’s Monastery. Enjoy a spectacular panorama of the land where fabled mythological warrior Cúchullain roamed and finish at the Kavanagh homestead.
