Religious house - Franciscan friars

The National Monuments Service's description

National Monument No. 200. A Franciscan Friary probably built by Walter de Riddlesford before 1247. Only the church survives from the monastic complex; it consists of a thirteenth century undifferentiated nave and chancel church (overall dims c. 43m x 10m) with a fourteenth century aisle (original dims c. 4m x 14m) and a transept (dims c. 14m x 10m) with three side chapels to the N. The cloister was located to the S. The church is built of roughly coursed granite rubble with granite quions, and has several lancet windows, including several with switchline tracery in the transept and chancel. A three storey residential tower was added to the S side of the chancel in the fifteenth century (dims c. 9m x 5m). It has a loft and a wicker-centered barrel vault, and anumber of flat-arch and ogee-headed windows. St James's holy well (KD040-002006-) lies to the rere of the ruins. The friary was first mentioned in 1247, was burnt by Edward Bruce in 1316, and then apparently largely rebuilt (Gilbert 1884, 299-300). In 1540 it consisted of a church, cloister, dormitory, tower, two halls, a kitchen, garden, orchard, dormitory and a curtillage walled with stone within the precinct, with a water mill nearby (White 1943, 170).

Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy

Date of upload: 5 November 2015

References

Gilbert, J.T. (ed.) 1884 Chartularies of St. Mary's Abbey, 2 vols. London. Longman.

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