Country house

The National Monuments Service's description

In 1681 the lands of Abbey Owney (LI014-014002-) were in the possession of Joseph Stepney, of the Middle Temple, London. He was one of the Cromwellian settlers, and was High Sheriff of Co. Limerick in 1686. Amongst the list of persons attainted in the reign of James II., there occurs the name of " Joseph Stepney, of Abbeyowney, in the County of Limerick, Esqr." He is credited with having pulled down the greater part of the abbey in order to build Abington House' (Seymour 1907, 179-80).
The present ruins of Abington House standing 220m S of Abbey Owney (LI014-014002-) and 50m S of Abington Bridge (LI014-014008-) and the Mulkear River were described by the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage as a 'Detached L-plan seven-bay two-storey house, built c. 1790. Hipped and pitched slate roof with rendered chimneystacks and return to rear. Rendered walls having render quoins. Square-headed opening with limestone sills, some with remains of six-over-six pane timber sliding sash windows. Square-headed door opening having render surround. Single-bay single-storey outbuilding to east with hipped slate roof. Rubble limestone and sandstone walls' (www.buidingsofireland.ie).
In 1907 Rev. Seymour recorded the presence of cut stone and other architectural fragments possibly taken from the nearby abbey (LI014-014002-) which were then present in the yard of Abington House beside Abington Bridge. He recorded the following details about these fragments, 'Mr. Fitz Gerald's yard close by, there are the bases of two pillars, and some other carved stones, which are said to have been taken out of the river, and which probably belonged to the abbey. In the same yard there is also a curious old stone mortar, about 6 inches [0.15m] high, and 1½ [0.03m] thick. It has four projecting lips on which are cut the initials C. B. and the date 1758. Over the entrance gate, which is thickly overgrown with ivy, Mr. FitzGerald informed the writer that the people say there is "something queer," and this may be the Stepney coat-of-arms. Some years ago a number of carved stones were taken from the ruins to Clonshavoy House, and there set up in a rockery opposite the hall-door' (Seymour 1907, 364).

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien and Matt Kelleher

Date of upload: 3 July 2017

References

Seymour, Rev. St. J. 1907 Abbey Owney, County Limerick. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 37, 165-80, 360-73.