Dovecote

The National Monuments Service's description

In level pasture at the W foot of a low rise, some 300m E of the River Liffey. Augustinian Abbey/Priory (KD023-016-----) founded in 1202 by Meyler Fitzhenry and dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary and St David (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 154, 177). The monastery was suppressed on the 24th of November 1540 and the monastic estate was described as following; 'Robert Wesley (presumably the last prior) was granted a pension of over £13, five other canons smaller amounts; the jurors found that all the buildings were standing as at the time of dissolution; the body of the church had been the parish ch[urch] from time immemorial, the chancel and the chapel of B.M. [Blessed Mary] to the north of it could be demolished, but the belfry could be converted into a castle or fortilage to defend the town (KD023-016004-) and district by the farmer who would need all other buildings, etc., on the 4-acre site; there was a dovecote on the town walls (KD023-016005-), the demesne being 131 acres, and the possessions included over 1,260 acres, a mill (KD023-016006-), five castles, many messuages and cottages' (White 1943, 157; Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 177). The monastic estate was granted to Edward Randolfe and in reversion to Sir Edw. Butler, and re-granted in 1560 to Sir Nicholas White: and to Sir Edmond Butler in 1566' (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 177).
Small circular-shaped cropmark (approx. diam. 7m) visible on Google Earth aerial imagery taken 28/06/2018 may possibly represent the remains of the medieval dovecote which was mentioned above in 1540 as standing 'on the town walls' of the Augustinian monastery of Great Connell. A linear cropmark running out from the circular shaped cropmark may represent the remains of these town walls.

See attached Google earth images of cropmark taken 28/06/2018

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 23 April 2019

References

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

White, N.B. 1943 Extents of Irish monastic possessions, 1540-1541. Dublin. Irish Manuscripts Commission.