Religious house - Cistercian monks

The National Monuments Service's description

In the lowlying river valley of the River Suir, c. 400m S of Marlfield village which is two miles W of Clonmel. Cistercian Abbey, founded as a daughter house of Mellifont in 1148, the affiliation was transferred to Monasteranenagh three years later (Stalley 1987, 246). Malachy O'Phelan, Prince of the Decies and Donal Mor O'Brien, king of Limerick, re-endowed the monastery in 1187 (Gwynn and Hadcock 1988, 135; Stalley 1987, 246). The monastery had daughter houses in Fermoy, Cork; Corcomroe, Clare and Glanawydan, Waterford (Stalley 1987, 246). In 1467 the buildings were in need of repair (ibid.). In 1540 the monastery was dissolved and early the following year 'the jurors reported that the church could be demolished, other buildings being necessary for the farmer, Thomas Butler' (Gwynn and Hadcock 1988, 136). Despite this the walls were standing in the mid-17th century 'Uppon the sd colpe ['Abyneslewnaght'] stands the walls of an old Aby' (Simington 1931, vol. 1, 307) and in 1746 the church was described as 'in ruins' (Smith 1746, 48). Though the abbey no longer survives, fragments (TS083-017001-; TS083-017002-; TS083-017003-) are incorportated in the 19th-century C of I church which was built on the site of the monastery (Shee and Watson 1975, 56). A medieval graveslab (TS083-017004-) is embedded in the floor at the threshold of the inner W door. Carpet has been laid in the centre aisle which could not be lifted, there may be more fragments beneath this. There are early graveslabs (TS083-017005-; TS083-017006-) in the associated graveyard. There are no earthworks visible at ground level S of the church and the field to the N is tilled. However, a lidar survey (Steve Davis, UCD, 2006-10) detected earthworks S of the graveyard which probably relate to the abbey complex. This lidar survey also detected rectangular plots running N of the graveyard which appear to form part of a pre-1700 settlement cluster (TS083-017009-).
Compiled by: Jean Farrelly

Date of upload: 28 May 2013

References

Stalley, R. 1987 The Cistercian monasteries of Ireland. London and New Haven. Yale University Press.

Simington, R.C. (ed.) 1931 The Civil survey, AD 1654-1656. Vol I: county of Tipperary: eastern and southern baronies. Dublin. Irish Manuscripts Commission.

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

Shee, E. and Watson, S. J. 1975 Clonmel: an architectural guide. Dublin. An Taisce.

Smith, C. 1746 The ancient and present state of the county and city of Waterford. Dublin. Physico-Historical Society.