It was on this island that the first Christian hermits withdrew from the world to lead a life of contemplation. It is a fascinating monastic site, where the monks first arrived in the 6C. The following century, Holy Island became a renowned centre for study, attracting the country's scholars. After being ransacked by the Vikings, the monastery was restored by the king, Brian Ború, and the island became the place of a pilgrimage in the Middle Ages. See the vestiges of five churches, a monk's cell and a sacred fountain.