I’ve been doing so many things that the space between posts has gotten longer. Most of our activities involve walking on beaches or visiting ruins that date between the twentieth century and 3000 BC. 
A real highlight was the cemetery that includes ruins of Asseroe Abbey in Ballyshannon.
Nothing is left of the Abbey but the back wall that is incorporated into a farmer’s stone barn, but there are fragments tucked in around the cemetery.
Nearby is a bridge that may be the oldest surviving stone bridge in Ireland. It has three arches and crosses the tiny Assaroe river.
The churchyard is the largest remnant of Assaroe Abbey with many old graves and headstones.
There is a stile that includes a fragment of trim from around an arched doorway. It’s the lowest stone in the group.
Inside the cemetery there are headstones from several centuries. The oldest have been incorporated into the walls. 
The headstone below has been reused by a later individual. You can see the elaborate carving on the upper portion, but the lower portion has been chiseled off. It was probably a dedication to a different person. It might even have begun, “Here lies…..”
Some pieces have broken and no one seems to know what to do with them.
There are pieces of ironwork that are merging with the stones they used to mark.
The cemetery is not large, but it is full of history and stories known and unknown. It is one of my favorite places of those we’ve visited.
Llywindatravels 2022 