St. Manchans Shrine

Popularity

About this place

Saint Manchan's Shrine is a large (60-cm wide) 12th-century Irish house-shaped shrine dedicated to Manchán of Lemanaghan (died 664), now in Boher Roman Catholic Church, outside Ballycumber, County Offaly. Built to hold human remains, still intact and presumably of Manchán himself, the relic container consists of a wooden core made of yew, placed on four cast bronze feet, overlain by silver plates containing gilt, cast copper alloy and bronze decorations, with large bosses. The shrine has a long history and has survived a number of sackings and fires. It was in poor condition when discovered in the collection of the Mooney family of Doon, County Offaly in 1821, with many of the figures and bosses missing; some of the current elements were added during late 19th century restorations. Its style is a mixture of Irish and Viking art, and is described by the art historian Rachel Moss as "exceptional in its scale, form and quality of workmanship."

Summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Updated 2026-11-14 Suggest an edit / Report issue

Getting There & Parking

St. Manchans Shrine is located in County Offaly, roughly 113 km (1h 40m drive) from Galway and 125 km (1h 50m) from Dublin. The nearest public car park is 68 m away. Nearby highlights within a short drive include Lemanaghan Castle (3.6 km away).

Galway113 km

~1h 40m drive

Limerick122 km

~1h 50m drive

Dublin125 km

~1h 50m drive

Nearest car park

68 m from landmark

Directions to car park ↗