St Laserian's Trail - Driving Route

St Laserian’s Trail is a self-drive route through the heart of County Carlow, and one of the county’s “Trails of the Saints” developed by Carlow Tourism. Running for around 69 kilometres (43 miles) along a mix of regional and country roads, it can comfortably be completed in a day and links a series of churches, monastic sites and places of pilgrimage across mid-Carlow.

The trail takes its name from St Laserian, founder and first bishop of the See of Leighlin, and a natural place to begin is St Laserian’s Cathedral at Old Leighlin, a fine medieval cathedral roughly 15 kilometres south of Carlow town. Nearby are the Cross of St Laserian and his holy well, which is still venerated today. From here the route meanders towards Myshall, at the foot of the Blackstairs Mountains, where the elaborately decorated Adelaide Memorial Church is among the trail’s most striking buildings.

Along the way the route passes further churches and churchyards and takes in the Quaker burial grounds at Ballykealey and Ballybrommell, a reminder of the county’s varied religious history beyond the Catholic and Church of Ireland traditions. A free booklet and map covering the trail, including satellite-navigation coordinates for each site, are available from the Carlow Tourist Information Office.