Using each sacred place as a springboard, this book traces the history of Christianity in Offaly. It begins with the stories of the men and women who became the first saints of Ireland and tells a story not only of a county, but of a nation. Offaly was the place where the boundaries of four of Ireland's five ancient provinces came together. Monasteries founded here expanded into some of the largest foundations in Ireland, such as Clonmacnoise. This region became known as the 'Flowering Garden of Monasteries' because of their central location, the monasteries in Offaly played a crucial political and economic role in Irish society. Over time, the great economic success of Offaly's monasteries brought them into conflict with their spiritual mission. Conflicts between wealth and piety, patrons and priests became part of the stories of these religious foundations.