On a tight schedule? You can hardly make better use of your time than a visit to Fore Abbey, which packs seven tourist attractions into one lush green valley. Known as the Seven Wonders of Fore, this off-the-beaten-path site has sparked folk tales wild enough to fire the imagination of even the staunchest cynic. There’s a decidedly creepy-looking “Tree That Won’t Burn,” sat next to a well filled with “Water That Doesn’t Boil.” The monastery itself apparently defies nature, having been built upon a bog, yet stubbornly refusing to sink. Oh, and that lintel stone in the ruins of St Feichin’s church? It was raised by the power of prayer. Regardless of whether or not you buy into the legends, there’s a tangible sense of mystery here that’s irresistible to the open-minded traveller.
