Religious house - Augustinian, of Arrouaise nuns

The National Monuments Service's description

An abbey of Augustinian Arroasian nuns was established here from Roscommon (RO039-043006-) probably by Turlough O'Conor before his death in 1156. By 1223 it was a cell of the Arroasian nuns at Kilcreevanty (GA029-096001-), but it may have been defunct shortly afterwards (Gwynn and Hadcock, 1970, 163, 316; Hall 2003, 79, 152). It is listed as Doryn in the ecclesiastical taxation of Elphin in 1306 (Cal. doc. Ire., vol. 5, 223), and is situated on a broad, low NW-SE ridge. A rectangular structure (dims c. 30m NW-SE; c. 10m NE-SW) described in gothic lettering as ‘Derrane Abbey’ is marked on the 1837 ed. of the OS 6-inch map and is probably the abbey church, which once had a large decorated window (Weld 1832, 458-9).
The Roman Catholic church of Our Lady of Lourdes was built on its site in 1857 (Beirne 2000, 263) but is aligned NE-SW.
A fragment of a wall (L 11.7m NE-SW; T 0.9-1m; H 0.6-0.8m) with a taller section (H 2.3m) at its SW end survives inside the NW wall of the rectangular graveyard (RO040-004002-) (dims 53m NWE-SE; 40m NE-SW) defined by masonry walls, which is just to the SE of the present church. This might be the original wall of the graveyard. There is the head of a maltese cross (RO040-004004-) (Wth 0.68m; H 0.58m; T 0.1m) and about ten architectural fragments in the graveyard. The cross-head has an inscription commemorating Hugh and Margaret Hanly and their daughter-in-law Ann with the dates 1677 and 1692. It is set on a hexagonal shaft with the symbols of the passion (total H 1.3m) (Siggins 1994a). It might once have been erected c. 130m to the NW (RO036-038----) where there is the base of a cross (RO036-039004-). Archaeological testing (08E0392) for an extension to the present church recorded no material related to the earlier foundation (Byrne 2008b; 2011b).

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of revised upload: 1st September 2015

References

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

Byrne, M.E. 2008b Proposed sacristy extension of Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Derrane, Co. Roscommon. Byrne Mullins and Associates, Archaeological Consultants. Unpublished report, National Monuments Service, Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht

Byrne, M.E. 2011b Derrane: no archaeological significance. In I. Bennett (ed.), Excavations 2008: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 306, No. 1031. Dublin. Wordwell.

Hall, D. 2003 Women and the church in medieval Ireland, c. 1140-1540. Four Courts Press. Dublin.

Weld, I. 1832 Statistical survey of the county Roscommon. Dublin, Royal Dublin Society

Siggins, A. 1994a Our front cover. Journal of the County Roscommon Historical and Archaeological Society, vol. 5, 3.