Religious house - Franciscan Third Order Regular

The National Monuments Service's description

The friary of St. Francis de Ballynebrahrair (Friarstown) in the parish of Caheravelly was founded some time after 1450 and was dissolved in 1544 (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 267). The friaries of Ballynebraher (with 3 acres, rent 12d.) and Ballyniwillin [Rochestown] were granted to Robert Browne on the 4th of February, 1544 (ibid., 270).
The Franciscan friary of the Third Order Regular in the townland of Friarstown (Baile na mBráthar\town of the friars) was described in 1840 as follows; ‘In the Townland of Friarstown are the remains of a religious edifice which the people call “the Abbey”. The walls are perfect. This Abbey is eighty one and a half feet [24.7m] long by nineteen feet [5.8m] in breadth. On the east gable there is a window, the upper part of which is a flat arch on the inside where it (the window) is about eight feet [2.4m] high by five and a half feet [1.67m]. On the inside it is divided into two parts by a mullion each part being round above. On this side it is about eight feet [2.4m] from the ground, four feet ten inches [1.47m] high by two feet [0.6m], each division being in width eight and a half inches [0.2m]. This window is formed of well cut lime stone. On the south side wall, five and a half feet [1.67m] from the east gable, there is another window, the upper part being a flat arch of thin stones on the inside where it is six feet [1.8m] high by five feet four inches [1.62m]. On the outside it is round arched, three feet ten inches [1.16m] high by ten inches [0.25m]and formed of well cut stones. On the same wall, fourteen and a half feet [4.4m] from this, there is another window which was divided into two parts but the mullion is now removed. On the inside it is six feet [1.8m] high by six and a half feet [2m], the upper part consisting of a flat arch of thin stones. Outside it is four feet [1.2m] high by three feet [0.9m], each part being one foot three inches [0.38m] in width and consists of the same cut stones as the preceding. On the west gable there is a window in two parts, each being round at the top. It is about ten feet [3m] from the ground (outside) and about four feet [1.2m] high, each division being about one foot [0.3m] wide. Under this window is the doorway, which on the inside is seven and a half feet [2.3m] high by four and a half feet[1.2m] having above a flat arch of thin stones. The outside is six and a half feet [2m] high by three feet eight inches [1.1m] and is formed of well cut stones, being in the pointed style approaching the round-arched.
There is another doorway on the north wall at the distance of twelve feet [3.65m] from the east gable. This doorway is six feet [1.8m] high by two feet two and a half inches [0.76m] and has a round arch consisting (formed) of a single stone on the inside; on the outside it is seven feet [2.1m] high by two feet six and a half inches [0.8m]; it has a flat arch and is formed of hammered stones. The inside is formed of cut stone and, as will be seen by the measurements given here, narrower than the outside. The walls are about thirteen feet [4m] high and are three feet two inches [0.97m] in thickness.
Attached to the southern wall of this edifice, near the middle, is a lateral building, the entrance to which from the main building is by a square doorway. This building measures twenty nine feet [8.8m] by seventeen feet four inches [5.3m]. It appears to have been a dwelling house as it contains two fire places and two chimnneys. One of the chimneys is raised on the wall of the Abbey; the other is built in the middle of the gable on the south. On the eastern side of this lateral house, three and a half feet [0.9m] from the Abbey wall, is a window which is arched like those of the building inside and round above on the on outside where it is three feet five inches high [1m] by nine and half inches [0.24m] and formed of cut stone. On the same wall, three feet [0.9m] from the south gable there is another window similarly formed inside, on the outside square and three feet two inches high [0.97m] by nine inches [0.22m]. The walls of this building are about twelve feet [3.65m] high and three feet [0.9m] in thickness. It does not look as old as the Abbey. This Abbey was built in a valley. There are no marks of graves about or near it’ (O’Flanagan 1929 Vol. 2, 147-50).
Westropp (1904-5, 48) recorded the following details about Friarstown; 'Ballynabrair, 1410; Gerot Baluff, f. Philip, a rebel, held the house of "S. ffrancisci de Ballynabrair, in Twoh-oreyn, in Paroch de Cahoryvahelly" (1586-1590, undatedInquis. Exchr. Cal., p. 95, No. 54, p. 118); Cnockballenevraher (Perambulation), 1609; Ballynambratharmore (O'Donovan). Fabric - The church is in fair preservation, 81½ feet [24.8m] long, 19 feet [5.8m] wide. The east window has two round-headed lights and a flat splay. In the south wall are a similar one-light window, and a two-light window with the mullion gone. In the west end is a window with two bluntly pointed lights and a door underneath. The north door has a round head of one stone. To the south is a projecting wing, 29 feet [8.8m] by 17 feet 4 inches [5.3m], with two fireplaces and chimneys, and two east windows, one round-headed, one rectangular (O.S.L., 8, p. 147). Mr. Hunt, of Friarstown, early in the last century, removed a slab in this church, and found a large empty earthen crock in a hollow beneath it. The "Abbey" was called Clochnamanah'.

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 24 November 2021

References

OSL - Ordnance Survey Letters. Letters written by members of the Ordnance Survey's 'Topographical Department' (T. O'Conor, A. O'Curry, E. Curry, J. O'Donovan and P. O'Keeffe) sent to headquarters from the field (1834-41). MSS in Royal Irish Academy.

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

OSNB - Ordnance Survey Name Books. Pro-forma books arranged by Civil Parish for recording townland and other name-forms and compiled in the course of the OS 6-inch survey 1824-1841. The name books also include minor names and incidental references to antiquities. National Archives of Ireland.

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

Fitzgerald, P. and McGregor, J.J. 1826 The history, topography and antiquities of the county and city of Limerick. Dublin.

Begley, J. 1906 The Diocese of Limerick ancient and medieval. Dublin.

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