Religious house - Premonstratensian canons

The National Monuments Service's description

This church stands on a gently S-facing slope at N end of the modern graveyard and is the northernmost of the monuments at Annaghdown. Known locally as the 'Nunnery', these ruins have been equated with the monastery of 'St. John the Baptist, de Cella Parva', a Premonstratensian abbey established at Annaghdown before 1224, perhaps on the site of an earlier nunnery(GA069-001004-) (Killanin and Duignan 1967, 56-7; Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 203). The standing remains consist of a conserved nave and chancel church, aligned E-W. Of the nave (L 15.25m, Wth 6.1m), only N and S walls still stand to full height, the W gable and chancel arch being reduced to foundations. However, the nave appears to be earlier than the chancel (L 9.8m, Wth 5.5m). Only the foundations of the latter survive except at NE corner where part of E gable survives to full height preserving N embrasure of E window. In the nave, there are traces of an internal dividing wall towards W end, immediately to E of which is a late medieval pointed arch doorway in N wall. The subdivision was lit by two small rectangular windows in N wall, ranged one above the other. These features are probably part of the residential quarters at W end of the church. There are also two other opes, possibly doorways; one in N wall of nave near the junction of the nave and chancel, the other centrally placed in S wall. Immediately W of the latter are possible traces of another window. (Cochrane 1901, 319; Fahey 1904, 135; O' Flanagan 1927, Vol. 1, 268; Killanin and Duignan 1967, 56; Harbison 1975, 81)

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Galway Vol. II - North Galway'. Compiled by Olive Alcock, Kathy de hÓra and Paul Gosling (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1999).

Date of upload: 05 August 2010

GA069-001005-.jpg Overall aerial view of monastic complex with 'Parish Church (GA069-001011-) in background left and 'Nunnery' (GA069-001005-) in centre right with earlier church (GA069-001007-) to its left.

GA069-001005-_01.jpg View from W