Religious house - Cistercian monks

The National Monuments Service's description

In pasture, on S shore of Courtmacsheery estuary. Cistercian abbey, moved to present location from Aghmainster (3249) in 1270s (Gywnn and Hadcock 1988, 125). Ruins of ivy-clad church (21m E-W; 8m N-W) in graveyard (3183), built around core of abbey church; jurours in 1541 found it used as parish church 'from time immemorial'. Transept arch in S wall now blocked; plain moulding at springing point survives on both sides; top of arch gone. Much ruined transept chapel (3m N-S; 2.7m E-W) against S wall, covered by vault (axis E-W), now largely fallen; entered by lintelled door through S wall of church and arched opening to transept, now blocked. Some remains of E wall of transept run c. 10m to S. North wall largely rebuilt but break in wall lines up with E side of transept arch opposite. East wall survives to c. 1m in height and may be a rebuilding; lower courses of central east window, now blocked. West gable and W ends of N and S wall late medieval in date. Arched door in W wall with two-light windows overhead. Tall narrow tower at SW corner. Also part of complex is 4-storey, ivy-clad tower (CO136-030001-) which stands c. 30m to the SW, at the SW corner of what was once the cloister (Stalley 1987, 241); fireplace at 1st floor level and window-opes on 2nd floor. This is marked 'castle (in ruins)' on OS 6-inch map (1902) but there is no historical mention of a castle here (Healy 1988, 274-5).

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 1: West Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1992). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload/revision: 14 January 2009