Housed within the ruins of a 13th-century abbey, the unusually tall and slender Moone High Cross – Ireland's second-highest, at 5.3m – is a masterpiece dating from the 8th or 9th century. It displays carved biblical scenes with the confidence and exuberance of a comic strip, among them Daniel in the lions' den and the flight into Egypt. The cross is situated on a minor road 1km west of Moone village, accessed via an inconspicuous wooden door in a stone wall.
Moone High Cross
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
20.87 MILES
Nestled between two lakes, haunting Glendalough (Gleann dá Loch, meaning 'Valley of the Two Lakes') is one of the most significant monastic sites in…
28.74 MILES
Ireland's second-largest medieval cathedral (after St Patrick's in Dublin) has a long and fascinating history. The first monastery was built here in the…
28.88 MILES
Rising above the River Nore, Kilkenny Castle is one of Ireland's most visited heritage sites. Stronghold of the powerful Butler family, it has a history…
28.35 MILES
Magnificent Castletown House is Ireland’s single-most imposing Georgian estate, and a testament to the vast wealth enjoyed by the Anglo-Irish gentry…
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17.4 MILES
One of Ireland's most magnificent landscaped gardens, Altamont covers 16 hectares on the banks of the River Slaney. Carefully selected plantings are…
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17.84 MILES
The neoclassical, copper-domed Emo Court was designed in 1790 by James Gandon, architect of Dublin's Custom House. Originally the country seat of the…
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28.87 MILES
Dating from the early 13th century, St Mary's Church has been converted into a fascinating modern museum that charts the history of Kilkenny in medieval…
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11.87 MILES
The Irish National Stud, 1.5km south of town, is the big attraction in Kildare – visitors have included Queen Elizabeth II. Owned and managed by the Irish…
Nearby attractions
2.14 MILES
Set in a tiny, restored Meeting House of the Society of Friends (which also houses the local library), this small museum documents the lives of Ballitore…
2.41 MILES
Located 4km west of Ballitore village is the Rath of Mullaghmast, an Iron Age hill fort and standing stone where Daniel O'Connell, champion of Catholic…
4.92 MILES
Castledermot village was once home to a vast ecclesiastical settlement, but all that remains of St Diarmuid's 9th-century monastery is a 20m round tower…
5.39 MILES
Founded by Cistercian monks in 1148 and inhabited for nearly four centuries, this 56m-long, now-ruined abbey incorporates both Cistercian and Irish…
7.9 MILES
One of Ireland's rarest ceremonial monuments, this Neolithic stone circle is believed to date from 2500 BC. Its 29 upright stones form a circle 30m in…
8.47 MILES
Dominated by the jackdaw-haunted ruins of a Gothic fantasy of a country house, the former seat of the Duckett family (the house burned down in 1933) was…
10.09 MILES
This 5000-year-old granite portal dolmen (tomb chamber) is one of Ireland's most famous prehistoric monuments, sporting the largest capstone in Europe (it…
10.22 MILES
These 16 interconnecting, themed gardens span the five senses – from a sculpture garden to a formal rose garden, a water and woodland garden, a willow…