Killone Abbey

Killone Abbey (Irish: Mainistir Chill Eoin ), situated in Killone, some 5 kilometres south of Ennis, County Clare, was a nunnery and abbey of Canonesses Regular founded in 1190 by Donal Mor O'Brien (Donal ‘the Great’ O’Brien), King of Thomond and Munster and dedicated to Saint John. It lies on the banks of Killone Lake.

The ruins of the abbey, accessible through land used for grazing cattle, are located in the grounds of Newhall House and Estate and include substantial remains of the abbey church together with a crypt. A narrow stone stairway leads between the altar and the east window to a ledge atop the remains of the south wall of the church, where an overview of the grounds may be seen with care.

Saint John's Holy Well
Today, there is an outside mass each year in June held by the local parish.

Access
The abbey and graveyard is privately owned, part of Newhall Estate, owned by the Commane family,  and as protected sites under national monument legislation, guardianship is vested in the Office of Public Works. As it is private land, access is available with the owner's permission. Killone Abbey is linked to Clare Abbey by the Pilgrim's Path, a footpath through Ballybeg forrest.