There are plenty of old castles and desolate stone structures dotting Ireland, but none so awe-inspiring as the Muckross Abbey. Aside from the building, located in a central courtyard of Muckross Abbey, is an ancient yew tree.
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Rising in a courtyard of the cloisters of Muckross Abbey, the yew tree might be as old, or older, than the abbey. Construction of the abbey began in 1448 as a Franciscan Friary. Although designated as an abbey, the building was actually a friary. The monks surrendered the abbey to Cromwellian forces in the 1650s. The ruins now stand within a national park and are next to a modern Irish graveyard.
Folklore about the tree is plentiful. There are tales that supernatural harm will come to anyone who interferes with it. In his book, “Heritage Trees of Ireland,” author Aubrey Fennell writes that the tree is over the grave of a monk who disappeared for 100 years, returning to the abbey to die.
Other legends include that an image of the Virgin Mary lies beneath the tree and that anyone damaging the tree would die within one year. Fennell adds the tale of a soldier who cut off a small branch that was dripping blood and died right then. We should note that yew trees can have a deep red sap that looks very much like blood. A common nickname for the yew tree is “Tree of the Dead.”
The yew tree at Muckross Abbey may be the oldest tree in Ireland. Unlike most trees, we cannot determine the age of a yew tree by counting rings. A fungus causes the trees to rot from the inside, making them hollow. Discover the adventure if you’re traveling in Ireland.
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