muckross abbey was founded in 1448 by observantine franciscans and is also still standing, despite having been damaged and reconstructed several times when its inhabitants were raided. "friars glen" on mangerton mountain is customarily said to have been one of the places the monks would flee to when the monastery was attacked. the central feature of muckross abbey is a central courtyard that contains a huge yew tree surrounded by a vaulted cloister. it is traditionally said that this tree is as old as muckross abbey itself. the abbey was the burial place of local chieftains. in the 17th and 18th centuries the kerry poets seafraidh o'donoghue, aogán ó rathaille, and eoghan rua ó súilleabháin were buried there.