When King Writes

One early morning in Ireland, we went on a Lough Erne cruise to visit Devenish Island, home to a Christian monastery founded in the 6th century by St Molaise (Laisrén mac Nad Froích), one of Ireland’s early Christian saints.

I think it was a great idea to have done it as early as possible. The morning mist was still floating above the water and, although chilly, added to the mysticism and charm of the journey we were taking.

Below, I’m sharing some video clips from the cruise.

We saw some of the other islands along Lough Erne, although for sure we didn’t see everything. After all, the area is dotted with 150+ islands.

The tour guide spoke to us about the history of the Lough itself, as well as the stories behind some of the islands and the people who once lived there. Unfortunately—and I say this with regret—I did not understand much of what he was saying because I’m not great at understanding the Irish accent. I wish I had asked him to clarify more instead of nodding along as if I understood.

The cruise took around 90 minutes one way, but I imagine it might have been much longer for people in the past who traveled to the monastery by boat.

It might be too long of a trip for some just to reach the ruins of an Early Christian monastery, but for me the cruise itself was an enjoyable experience. I got to see historic bridges, a bit of wildlife, and simply bask in nature with its quiet and sunny glory (a lucky thing to experience in Ireland—the sun).

Anyway, yes, the monastery on Devenish Island is now a ruin, but it is one of the best-preserved monastic sites in Northern Ireland.

When we got there, I kind of felt like I was looking at some sets from Game of Thrones. My imaginative brain immediately thought of a ready-made fantasy scene, with the 12th-century Round Tower standing tall and narrow, almost perfectly intact, like something a watchman in Westeros would climb to scan for approaching armies.

Some of the ruins and roofless medieval churches brought to mind the remains of Harrenhal, or an old sept destroyed in war. The island is covered in soft green grass, scattered with centuries-old grave markers and worn stone slabs. It felt very “Seven Kingdoms,” if you know what I mean.

Nonetheless, those details were just part of my imagination, and none of those are facts. Devenish Island is actually a remarkably well-preserved early Christian monastic site shaped by centuries of devotion, scholarship and survival. When you visit, join the tour, or even just read more about the island online, you’ll learn about Viking raids, fires, and the enduring community that once flourished there.

For now, I’d like to invite you to take a look at this one other video clip I took on the island:

I think we were there for around an hour and 30 minutes. It depends on the agreement you have with your tour guide on how long you want to stay, but ours said we could stay as long as we liked, so we explored to our heart’s content. We tried to fly the drone—and fly it we did—but the footage is lost to us now and forever. Unfortunately, we’ll have to make do with the clips from my phone.

In any case, I’m glad I captured what I could. These simple clips may not show everything, but they hold the mood of that morning. As in all adventures, you win some, you lose some. We may have lost some of our images and videos from our other camera equipment, but these memories will stay in my heart for a lifetime.

Thank you for reading!