Religious house - Franciscan friars

The National Monuments Service's description

Founded in 1258, probably by Gerald Fitzmaurice, Lord of Offaly, who is traditionally associated with the effigial fragment (KD014-026014-) in the chancel, although the foundation has also been attributed to the Sturton family, the patronage subsequently passing to the Ugayns and later the Rochefords. A general chapter was held here in 1345, and in 1433 an indulgence was granted as the friary was in need of repair: Conlan (1978, 82) suggests that the friary was substantially rebuilt after 1433. In 1540, the dissolution documents noted that the church, chancel and part of the dormitory had been destroyed and the material used to repair the King's Castle (KD005-015----) in Maynooth. (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 245). The remains comprise large portions of the ivy-clad N and S walls and the E gable wall of a nave and chancel structure (nave dims. L c. 26m E-W; Wth 8m. chancel dims. L c. 17m E-W; Wth 8m) of 13th century date, to which a S-aisle (int. dims. L 16.6m E-W; Wth 6.5m) was added in the 15th c. Constructed of roughly coursed limestone blocks without dressed quoins; traces of plaster survive on both the inner and outer wall faces. The E window (probably a series of lancets) is robbed out and the chancel is lit by one lancet in the N wall and four, with traces of a fifth, in the S wall. The inner face of the E gable wall is altered to accommodate a grotto and the altar area is paved and roofed in corrugated iron sheeting. A recess near the E end of the S wall is probably a sedilla. Both the W gable wall and S wall of the nave are levelled, the latter to accommodate the aisle, and the N wall is featureless apart from a round-arched recess. The S aisle is also poorly preserved; its E and W walls are reduced to foundation level, but the S wall contains two lancet windows and the E-splay of a third. (Bradley et al. 1986, vol. 2, 146-48)
In 1999, archaeological test-trenching (Excavation Licence No. 99E0386:www.excavations.ie), informed by previous geophysical investigations of a rectangular area (dims. L 40m; Wth 40m) N of the graveyard (KD014-026011-), confirmed the presence and extent of subsurface wall-features and suggested they were associated with the upstanding remains of the friary. Additional walls were also discovered to the S and SW of the graveyard and a number of burials were found outside, to the N, S and W, of the graveyard boundary walls. A gravelled surface uncovered to the SW of the graveyard may be the remains of a road, identified previously in aerial photographs and several areas of burning were also found. A stone-built 'tunnel' with an arched roof, running SW from the SE corner of the graveyard was also discovered (dims. L 8.8m NE-SW; Wth 1.2m; H above fill on floor 0.85m). This structure had been truncated by a modern sewerage pipe, and while not representative of classic souterain construction methods, the excavator suggested it was possibly a passage leading to a souterrain chamber. Sherds of medieval pottery, fragments of roof tiles and fragments of decorated floor tiles, all of which are probably related to the friary, were also found.

Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy

Date of upload: 10 June 2011