戈尔韦郡罗斯埃里利方济各会修道院遗址，康诺特省，爱尔兰 Ruins of Ross Errilly Friary, County Galway, Ireland (© Maria Janus/Shutterstock)

戈尔韦郡罗斯埃里利方济各会修道院遗址，康诺特省，爱尔兰 Ruins of Ross Errilly Friary, County Galway, Ireland (© Maria Janus/Shutterstock)

天鹅开启传奇之处 Where swans started a legend

罗斯·埃里利修道院遗址，戈尔韦郡，爱尔兰

天鹅、秘密藏身处和中世纪养鱼池有什么共同之处？它们都是罗斯埃里利方济各会修道院遗址故事的一部分。这座保存完好的爱尔兰方济各会修道院建于约1351年，常被称为罗斯修道院（俗称）；不过它从未设过院长，因为它本就不是隐修院。

当地传说称，一位主教跟随三只嘴衔亚麻籽的天鹅来到这里，随后选定了院址。修道院日渐兴盛，最终增建了少见的第二座回廊，以容纳不断壮大的社群。中世纪厨房里甚至设有巧妙的活水石池，可让刚捕获的鱼一直存活到用餐时。

罗斯埃里利也熬过了数百年的宗教迫害。修士们在修道院屡次关闭后仍不断返回；克伦威尔时期，这里后来还庇护过天主教神职人员。修道院废弃后，墓葬活动仍持续很久，如今有些墓碑已成为步道的一部分。这里证明，历史确实会留下长久的足迹——有时还是字面意义上的足迹。

Ross Errilly Friary, County Galway, Ireland

What do swans, secret hideaways, and a medieval fish tank have in common? They're all part of the story of Ross Errilly Friary. Founded around 1351, this well-preserved Franciscan friary in Ireland is often called Ross Abbey, though it never had an abbot because it was never an abbey.

Local legend says a bishop chose the site after following three swans carrying flax seed in their beaks. The friary flourished, eventually adding a rare second cloister to accommodate its growing community. Its medieval kitchen even featured a clever running-water stone tank that kept freshly caught fish alive until mealtime.

Ross Errilly also weathered centuries of religious persecution. Friars returned despite repeated closures, and the site later sheltered Catholic clergy during the Cromwellian period. Burials continued long after the monastery was abandoned, with some tombstones now forming parts of its walkways. This site proves history can leave lasting footprints—sometimes quite literally.