Ballintobar (Ballintubber) Abbey lays claim to be the oldest church of which there has been continuous religious celebration. It was founded in 1216 by Cathal Crovdearg O'Connor, who was the King of Connacht at the time, on the site of a monastic settlement associated with St. Patrick. In 1465, the abbott was investigated for misuse of the Abbey resources - clearly tribunals are not a new phenomenom in Ireland (the outcome is unknown).In 1542, the monastery was dissolved, and in 1635, the Augustinians petitioned successfully to take over the Abbey. However, in 1653, Cromwell's troops laide waste to the abbey, leaving only the shell. Partial restorations were carried out in 1846 and 1889 but the abbey was fully restored in time for the 750th anniversary in 1966.(Source: Guide to National and Historic Monuments of Ireland)
Ballintobar (Baile an tobar), which means the town of the well, was the starting point of the Pilgrim's Walk to Croagh Patrick, 22 miles to the west.This set of photographs were taken in March 2003.
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| Ballintober abbey | Ballintober abbey front | Ballintober cloister | Cloister detail | Ballintober abbey |
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| Ballintober grotto |