Ecclesiastical residence

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on a shelf towards the bottom of a N-facing slope, and c. 150m S of the Augustinian church (CV014-028003-) is a building described as an ‘Abbey (in Ruins)’ on the 1835 (L-shaped) and the 1908 (rectangular) editions of the OS 6-inch map, with earthworks depicting hollow ways of the field system (CV014-028001-) in the vicinity on the latter. Just a portion (L 6m plus; T 0.9m; H 4m) of the S wall of the building survives with a single corbel high on its inner face. The outline (int. dims 16.5m N-S; 8m E-W) extends N as wall footings. This could have been the abbot’s house or a guest house. It might even have been the ‘anchorite’s cell’ that was under construction in 1484 when the annals record the deaths of John O’Farelly and Brian O’Farrelly, priests of Drumlane (AFM). In 1970 human remains, described as a (CV014-028010-) were found in the vicinity of this building but they were not excavated (Cahill and Sikora 2011, ii, 305-6).

In 2021 a community group received funding to conduct a topographical and geophysical survey of a large area (dims c. 140m NW-SE; c. 70m NE-SW) of the field surrounding this building. A gradiometer survey revealed that the area is divided into small plots (dims c. 25m E-W; c 25m N-S) defined by negative features that can be interpreted as ditches. They are laid out N-S and are not aligned on the current field boundaries. A resistivity survey in the area of the building records another rectangular area (dims c. 25m x c. 25m) but further walls from the structure itself have not been identified. (Kirk 2022a)

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cavan' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1995). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Revised by: Michael Moore

Date of revision: 27 July 2018

This monument is subject to a preservation order made under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014 (PO no. 5/1971).

Kirk, C. 2022a Our Drumlane Research Journey. The Spark: border counties local history review, 34, 41-2.

References

AFM - Annals of the kingdom of Ireland by the Four Masters from the earliest period to the year 1616, ed. and trans. John O'Donovan (7 vols., Dublin, 1851; reprint New York, 1966)

Cahill, M. and Sikora, M. (eds) 2011 Breaking ground, finding graves - reports on the excavations of burials by the National Museum of Ireland, 1927-2006, 2 vols. Dublin. Wordwell Ltd. in association with the National Museum of Ireland.