Drumhome monastery was founded by the monks of Colmcille in 560 A.D. at the request of Rí Ainmire, King of Cineal Chonaill and first cousin of Colmcille.

In 2013 Wolfhound Archaeology Ltd. did a sample dig of 4% of the area around the graveyard at Drumhome. This small dig revealed important artefacts among which were drinking vessels dating back to early and later medieval times, the site of a round tower, the site of a cathedral type church, the site of a forge, and a wooden pathway (still intact) linking the monastic buildings.  A Feasibility Study delivered by Wolfhound Archaeology Ltd., of the Drumhome district in August 2018 points the way forward. The opinion of the archaeologist, Michael Drumm of Wolfhound Archaeology Ltd., is that the site may be as extensive as Clonmacnoise.