Kells, Ireland Attractions

Kells (Ceanannus Mor, "Great Residence") lies in the wooded valley of the Blackwater 25mi/40km inland from the Irish east coast, at the intersection of the N3 and N52.

A monastic settlement was established here by St Columba in the sixth century, and in the ninth century monks from Iona, driven out by Viking raids, sought refuge at Kells. In later centuries the settlement was several times plundered and subsequently restored. The town was fortified by the Anglo-Normans and maintained its importance until the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1551.