Ecclesiastical site

The National Monuments Service's description

The following description of this monument is taken from 'The Urban Archaeological Survey of County Limerick' compiled by John Bradley, Andrew Halpin and Heather A. King (1989a), unpublished report commissioned by the Office of Public Works, Dublin.

"Mungret is located three miles west of Limerick city on the Foynes road. The name appears to mean 'bog or sedgy morass of the sloping hill'. Mungret was one of the most important Early Christian monasteries in north Munster. Founded, apparently in the sixth century, by St Nessan its abbots are recorded from the middle of the eighth century and this provides a clear indication of its significance by this time (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 42). The monastery was raided on a number of occasions between the tenth and twelfth centuries. In 1152, at the Synod of Kells, it claimed to be recognised as an episcopal seat. This claim was presumably based on its historic role as the principal church of the diocese of Limerick. Its proximity to the town of Limerick, however, meant that it was unable to make good its claim (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 94). It has been suggested that the Augustinian Canons may have established a house here during the twelfth century but documentary evidence is lacking (ibid., 42: Westropp 1904-5, 367-8). At the close of the twelfth century the land of Mungret was granted to St Mary's, Limerick, by Domhnall Mor 0 Briain and subsequently it was to be part of the estates of the bishop of Limerick (MacCaffrey 1907, 34). After the coming of the Normans Mungret functioned as an episcopal manor and was granted the right to hold a weekly market in 1225 (Sweetman 1875-86, no. 1262). A rental of the manor, prepared in 1336, survives in the Black Book of Limerick. It states that the burgesses then rendered £4 10s. annually to the bishops for the land they held (MacCaffrey 1907, 154). Further evidence that the settlement was a borough is provided by an entry in the statute rolls of 3 Edw IV (1463-4) which indicates that the borough had been granted the laws of Breteuil (Berry 1914, 61). The subsequent history of the borough is unknown but it is to be presumed that it shared the same fate as many of the other medieval boroughs in the county by falling prey to the ravages and famines of the mid fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. The medieval borough is likely to have been centred on (and to the north of) the cluster of churches which survive on the south side of the Foynes road. Lewis (1837, ii, 415) reports the presence of "extensive foundations of buildings in the adjoining fields, at a considerable depth beneath the surface, and occasionally discovered by the plough."

Compiled by: Denis Power

Date of upload: 5 February 2013

References

Bradley, J., Halpin, A., and King, H.A. 1989 Urban archaeological survey - county Limerick (3 vols.). Unpublished report commissioned by the Office of Public Works, Dublin.

Westropp, T.J. 1904-5 A survey of the ancient churches of Co. Limerick. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 25C, 327-479.

Sweetman, H.S. (ed.) 1875 Calendar of documents, relating to Ireland. Vol.i, 1171-1251. Dublin.

Berry, H. F. (ed.) 1914 Statute rolls of the parliament of Ireland 1-12 Edward IV. Dublin.

Lewis, S. 1837 A topographical dictionary of Ireland, 2 vols. London. Lewis and Co.

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

MacCaffrey, J. 1907 The black book of Limerick. Dublin.