Innisfallen Island (or Inishfallen) is in Killarney National Park, Ireland. There are 3 lakes there — lower, middle and upper. Historic Innisfallen is in the lower lake, known as Lough Leane - Lake of Learning.

During the dark ages, when classical learning was forgotten across most of Europe, isolated Ireland remained a center of scribes and scholarship. It’s quite possible that Ireland’s role during this period saved much of ancient Greek and Roman science, philosophy and the arts from being lost forever. That story is in How the Irish Saved Civilization.

We took a small boat from Ross Castle (fascinating place) out onto the lake. The castle receded, we passed a flock of swans and a few smaller islands, then reached Innisfallen. Asking the boatman to leave us there long enough for picnic lunch & exploration, we stepped ashore.

The 1st monastery here was founded in the 6th or 7th century AD by St. Finian the Leper, and the island was occupied for 700 years. It was ideal for a contemplative monastic life. Eventually, Innisfallen became a major center of learning — Europe’s first University in centuries. Princes were sent from all over Europe to study on this tiny island. This was the A-list school at the time!

Killarney National Parks: Aerial photo of the island

On this day, we ate our picnic lunch just outside the ruined walls of Inishfallen Abbey. It’s a beautiful and atmospheric place. Wandering through the ruins of buildings and cloisters, you can imagine monks scratching away at manuscripts day after day, and lads of privilege at their studies. No doubt there was a sense of excitement at the time — everyone knew they were in a special place.

Many centuries later, it’s so quiet we had the island to ourselves.

Echoes still seem to linger.

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This was part of our Ireland tour for women that just finished up. The Inishfallen visit made me wonder how different my own college years would have been if spent on a little island with monks. (-: