Corcomroe Abbey is an old Cistercian abbey from the 13th century. The English Reformation led to the dissolution of Catholic monasteries in England and Ireland. In 1554, the abbey was given to the Earls of Thomond. The monks continued to cultivate the fields and maintain the abbey when circumstances permitted, but the political climate led to a steady decline. The last abbot, the Reverend John O'Dea, was appointed in 1628.
Considered to be one of the "last great stone cathedrals of Europe", the Galway cathedral was constructed in 1965 on the site of the old city prison. It is today one of the largest and most iconic buildings in the city.
The Cathedral of St Fachanan is an ancient cathedral that was originally an abbey church. St Fachanan founded a monastery on the site in the 6th century. The monastery went through a difficult period in the Middle Ages, being looted and burned. Rebuilt several times, the abbey church was repaired to its present form in the 1830s. The transept was fitted with a glass roof in 2005 to protect the remains of the three high crosses moved there.
The monastery of Dysert O'Dea is said to have been founded by Saint Tola in the 8th century. Most of the ruins of the Romanesque structure visible today date mainly from the 12th century. The remains of the monastic site include the church of St. Tola, a round tower, St. Tola's well and a high cross, known as the Cross of St. Tola. The cross was knocked down by Cromwellian soldiers but repaired in 1683. In 1960 the cross was temporarily dismantled and shipped to Barcelona for an exhibition of Irish art.
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