Clones – Heritage and Routes along the Ulster Canal

Clones offers two clear starting points for planning a stay: its monastic heritage and monuments, and routes along the Ulster Canal. The Clones Lace Museum adds a local craft theme. If you are looking for a hotel in Clones, these highlights can help you decide which experiences to include in your stay.

Monuments and early history

Clones began as a monastic settlement around 500, when St Tiernach founded his monastery there. Clones Round Tower and church are a National Monument in the care of the Office of Public Works.

The four-storey sandstone tower stands 23 m high. Its entrance is 1.5 m above ground level, and its conical cap is missing. Clones High Cross has stood at the Diamond in Crossmoyle for centuries and is made up of the head and shaft of two different high crosses. The tower's dimensions and construction shape how it appears; the high cross stands out for its composition from parts of two crosses.

Lace and routes along the canal

The Clones Lace Museum is located in the Ulster Canal Stores Visitor Centre in Clones. The local form of Irish crochet lace was officially recognised in 2021 and added to Ireland's National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage. This adds a distinctive local craft to the area's stone heritage.

Clones Marina connects the historic town of Clones in County Monaghan with the Ulster Canal and offers circular routes along the towpath. Here, the focus is not on a building but on a route along the canal. The marina also offers parking, a service block, and spaces for buses and trailers. If these facilities are important to your plans, check their current status before your visit.

More places to visit in County Monaghan

County Monaghan also has distinctive cultural attractions. Monaghan County Museum in the Peace Campus in Monaghan Town explores the county's history through a varied programme of exhibitions and events. In Inniskeen, the Patrick Kavanagh Experience tells the poet's story through artefacts, multimedia, texts and films. The guided tour includes the main exhibition, a visit to Patrick Kavanagh's grave, a short walk around Inniskeen and a visit to the Poetry Jukebox on the River Fane. If you plan to take the tour, check the current booking conditions in advance.

Clones and Carrickmacross represent different lace traditions in County Monaghan: Clones is home to the Lace Museum, and the local form of Irish crochet lace was officially recognised in 2021. At the Carrickmacross Lace Gallery, visitors can view and buy Carrickmacross lace; demonstrations are available on request.

County Monaghan offers routes with different characteristics. The Monaghan Greenway in Monaghan Town is a shared walking and cycling route along the old towpath beside the Ulster Canal. The Monaghan Way runs for almost 18 km from Inniskeen to Lough Muckno and includes three loop walks. Its sections include quiet country roads, cross-country paths, riverside paths and lakeshore paths.

Lough Muckno Leisure Park in Castleblayney is set on 900 acres of wooded land and offers fishing, walking trails, water sports and picnic areas. National and international water-skiing competitions, as well as angling competitions, are held at Lough Muckno. If you would like to include a competition in your plans, check the current dates.

More destinations

Discover more destinations: Clontibret, Corkeeran, Glaslough, Ballybay, Tedavnet, Castleblayney, Mullinacross, Monaghan

For the wider travel overview: County Monaghan.