The deserted town of Rindoon or Rinn Dúin is situated on the peninsula of St. John's Point, on the western shore of Lough Ree, some nine miles north of Athlone. The surviving remains constitute one of the most important complexes of Medieval monuments in the country.

There is little physical evidence to indicate settlement before the coming of the Normans but the place-name Rinn Dúin, "the fort of the promontory", is itself an indication of pre-Norman settlement.

Rindoon is one of the best preserved abandoned medieval towns in Europe. The town and castle were founded in 1227 as a royal borough and fortress on the sometimes turbulent frontier between the English Anglo-Norman colony and lands controlled by the Gaelic Irish O’Conor kings of Connacht. The resurgence of Gaelic power eventually forced its abandonment in the 14^th century. In the late 16^th and 17^th centuries the peninsula was again partially occupied, this time by New English settlers. For the past three centuries, Rindoon has been used almost solely for farming. That is why there is still so much to see.

There currently is no public access to Rindoon/Rinn Dúin.

Useful Links

http://www.irishwalledtownsnetwork.ie

http://visitroscommon.com/CultureandHeritage/HeritageGems/Rindoon.aspx

http://webgis.archaeology.ie/NationalMonuments/FlexViewer/