Religious house - Augustinian friars

The National Monuments Service's description

According to the Urban Survey of County Carlow (Bradley 1989, 71-2) the friary was ‘founded in 1314 by Simon Lumbard and Hugh Talun and they gave a house and three acres of land in “the village of St John adjoining Tullow” to the friars (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 302). In 1542 the buildings are recorded as a church and belfry, a dormitory, hall, three chambers, and kitchen and the friars also held six cottages in Tullow (ibid.) Dinely says that it was located beside the river (Shirley et. al.1858-67, 48) and Ryan (1833, 354) states that it is to be identified within the churchyard (CW008-045005-) immediately south west of the town, where the name “Abbey Well” (CW008-045009-) still survives. There are no surviving remains above ground and Ryan adds that the buildings were taken down in the reign of Queen Anne (1702-1714) to provide materials for building a barracks on the site of the court house (Ryan 1833, 355). All that survives today is a rectangular graveyard, south of the town, on the south side of the Slaney. Within it are an Early Christian crosshead (CW008-045011-), a large bullaun stone (CW008-045015-), and a well. These features suggest that the site is of pre-Norman origin and it seems likely that the Augustinians took over an earlier church’. In 1833 the site of the abbey was described as 'the only remains or rather appendage of the abbey of St. Austin now observable, is the upper part of a stone cross (CW008-045011-) of large dimensions. It is broken from its shaft, and lies on the site of the former abbey,near the bridge, and south of the river. A burial ground is to be found in the same place, but no inscription of the least interest. There is a well here, enclosed by mason work, and a Gothic window, lately erected, and intended to represent part of the ancient abbey. This latter was in bad taste and less propriety; for whatever might be said in palliation of the erection of counterfeit ruins on new sites, nothing can be advanced in apology for the constructing of a spurious, illegitimate piece of imitation on ground where it looks like profane intrusion, and might possibly mislead or deceive future inquirers. Full sure are we, that were St. Austin himself in the flesh, he would not sanction such doings' (Ryan 1833, 534). On the 1657 Down Survey map of Tullow Barony the 'Abby' with 'Tuck Mill' (CW008-045008-) to SE are depicted standing on the S bank of the Slaney River in the area where the present graveyard is located (NLI MS 726). The 'abbey of Tulloebeg' is depicted standing on the S bank of the Slaney River on the 1657 Down Survey parish map of part of Fenagh. The terrier of the Down Survey map of part of Fenagh Parish records that in Tullowbeg were the remains of 'an old abbey & a Tuck Mill' (NLI MS 726).
Present remains consist of the head of a high cross (CW008-045011-) and holy well (CW008-045009-) incorporated into E wall of graveyard (CW008-045005-) 25m N of abbey site as depicted on the current ed. OS 6-inch map (Bradley 1989, 71-2). In the W quadrant of this graveyard are several architectural fragments consisting of window mullions belonging to the destroyed abbey building which can be seen lying on the surface adjacent to the N side of a possible cross base (CW008-045015-).

Compiled and revised by: Claire Breen & Caimin O'Brien

Date of revised upload: 26 September 2014

References

Bradley, J. and King, H.A. 1990 Urban archaeological survey - county Carlow. Unpublished report commissioned by the Office of Public Works, Dublin.

Gwynn, A. and Hadcock, R.N. 1970 (Reprint 1988) Medieval religious houses of Ireland. Dublin. Irish Academic Press.

Shirley, E.P., Dineley, T., O'Brien, R. and Graves, J. 1858-67 Extracts from the Journal of Thomas Dineley, Esquire, giving some account of his visit to Ireland in the reign of Charles II. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 6, 73-91, 176-204, 289-90.

NLI, MS 726 – National Library of Ireland , The parish maps of the Down Survey for the Countys of Wicklow and Catherlogh, attested by W. Petty in 1657. Copied by Daniel O'Brien. A set of 60 maps with accompanying terriers, 1786-7. Dublin.

Ryan, J. 1833 The history and antiquities of the County of Carlow. Dublin. Richard Moore Tims, Grant and Bolton.