Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Religious house - Dominican friars
Donore (lune By., Killaconnigan Par.), County Meath, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Donore (lune By., Killaconnigan Par.)
- County
- Meath
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Friary & Chapel
- Latest-edition OS map
- Friary & Chapel (Site of)
- Coordinates
- 53.49445, -6.94606
- SMR number
- ME041-007----
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 4 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1790 "Composite: Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
Despite the dissolution of the Dominican abbey in Trim (ME036-048022-) which took place in 1539 the order maintained a continuing presence in the vicinity (Fenning 1961). Early in the 18th century a farm at Donore was let by a Mr. Ashe to the prior, and community life resumed in the new location c. 1713. The friars provided a pastoral service for many local parishes. In 1756 the community is recorded as Prior Patrick Lynham and six others. Novices were trained at Donore after 1773, and in 1788-9 an academy for boys was launched but it had little success. By the end of the century the community was in decline and it dispersed early in the 19th century. Fr. Laurence Shaw OP, who died in Ballivor in 1833 and is commemorated there, was the last of the community. A headstone erected in 1787 in the ruin of the parish church of Killyon (ME041-046----), c. 2km to the WSW, commemorates seven member friars, (Cogan 1862-70, 1, 307-10; 2, 346; Fenning 1963).
Situated on the N bank of the River Boyne at a point c. 40m N of where it changes from a SW-NE course to NW-SE, and at the head of a steep slope down to the stream. A roofless structure (dims c. 10m E-W; c. 5m N-S) depicted on the 1836 ed. of the OS 6-inch map is described in gothic lettering as ‘Friary Chapel’. Another roofless structure (dims c. 10m N-S; c. 5m E-W) is depicted running S from its W end. The location is described as the site of the friary and chapel on the 1909 edition. The foundations of a N-S wall (L 11.7m; Wth 0.6m) with an entrance gap (Wth 1.2m) towards the N end is probably the W wall of the N-S structure. An oval cairn (dims of base 8.3m N-S; 5-6.4m E-W; H 0.8-1m) of stone and brick masonry is c. 8m to the W. Five trees are growing through the cairn, but a headstone with the date 1745 (SMR file 1942) is no longer present.
Compiled by: Michael Moore
Date of upload: 20 March, 2015
References
Fenning, Rev. H. 1963 The Dominicans of Trim, 1713-1833. Ríocht na Mídhe, 3, 1, 21-32.
Fenning, Rev. H. 1961 Dominicans of Trim, 1683-1710. Ríocht na Mídhe, 2, 3, 3-8.
Nearby in the register
- Castle - tower houseunder 1 mi
- Ringfort - rathunder 1 mi
- Moundunder 1 mi
- Burial groundunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.