Religious house - Franciscan Third Order Regular

The National Monuments Service's description

Within a tree plantation on low-lying ground, c. 45m to the NE of a small stream. Founded by Geoffrey O'Ferrall in the 15th century and dedicated to St John the Baptist (Conlan 1978, 79; Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 268). Granted to Sir John Davies in 1611 (Cal. pat. rolls Ire., Jas I, 213) and to James Metcalfe in 1621 (ibid., 505). A nunnery may have been associated (Anon. 1826, 3 Jac. 1). The church is depicted on an early 17th-century map of Ardagh barony (BL, Cotton MS Augustus I.ii.25) but is not shown on the Down Survey (1655-6) map of Mastrim parish (NLI, MS 719). On the 1837 ed. of the OS 6-inch map a T-shaped, roofed building, within in the NW half of a roughly rectangular enclosure, is designated ‘Abbey’. On the OS 25-inch plan (surveyed 1911) only a section of walling, L-shaped in plan, is shown.
Although now densely overgrown with briars and nettles, the outline of the T-shaped building is defined by low wall-footings. The main block (int. dims. c. 22m NE-SW; 6.6m NW-SE; wall T 0.9m) was aligned NE-SW and the smaller block (int. dims. 9.5m NW-SE; 5.6m NE-SW; wall T 0.9m) extended off its SE side and was aligned NW-SE. One architectural fragment, half of the sillstone of a mullioned window, was noted lying on the ground. The enclosure (int. dims. c. 55m NW-SE; 38m NE-SW) is defined by a tree-lined earthen bank, which has been reduced to a scarp in places, and a wide outer fosse. In 1975 (SMR file) a semicircular platform defined by an irregular scarp with possible traces of an outer fosse was noted to its SE, while to its NW low banks extended from its NE and SW sides. A possible entrance gap (Wth 3m) is visible in the N angle of the field and a liner ditch running up to it from the NW may represent the line of an old roadway. Alternatively, this feature may be the remains of a post-medieval drainage ditch. St Mary’s Well (LF015-061----) lies c. 50m to the W.

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 4 June 2013

References

Anon. 1826 Inquisitionum in officio rotulorum cancellariae Hiberniae asservatarum, repertorium, vol. I. Dublin. George and John Grierson and Martin Keene, Printers.

NLI, MS 719 - National Library of Ireland, The parish maps of the Down Survey of Co. Longford attested by W. Petty under date 1657. Copied by Daniel O'Brien. A set of 22 maps with accompanying terriers, 1786-7. Dublin.

British Library, Cotton Manuscripts, Augustus I. Charts of the baronies of Granard, Rathcline, Longford, Ardagh, Shrule and Moydow, County Longford. London. (microfilm, NLI p. 1364)

Conlan, P. 1978 Franciscan Ireland. Mercier Press, Dublin and Cork.

Cal. pat. rolls Ire., Jas I - Irish patent rolls of James I: facsimile of the Irish record commissioners' calendar prepared prior to 1830, with foreword by M.C. Griffith (Irish Manuscripts Commission, Dublin, 1966)

SMR file - Sites and monuments record files in the National Monuments Service, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

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