Leper hospital

The National Monuments Service's description

According to the Urban Survey of Ireland (Bradley et. al. 1985, 109-10) ‘the foundation of this hospital has been attributed by Gwynn and Hadcock (1970, 351) and Lee (1974-5, 226) to de Lacy on the assumption that he was responsible for the construction of the motte (WM011-039----) in 1192. There is no evidence, however, to support this association of de Lacy with either the motte or the hospital and their suggestion that it was established in the 1198’s is without foundation. There are no references to the hospital in the Register of Tristernagh which records grants to that priory from its foundation until the early fourteenth century. The earliest direct reference to the 'Leper House of St. Brigid' is in 1409 when the register of Archbishop Fleming of Armagh recorded a 'Letter on behalf of the leper house (domu[s] seu casella) of St. Brigid, April 1409. Kylbyxy, in the diocese of Meath. Exorts the faithful in the deaneries of fauoria, Molynger, Lox, and Arnurchyr to give to the proctor of the house when he comes to them, and grants an indulgence of 40 days to contributors throughout the whole diocese' (Lawlor 1912, 131). Gwynn and Hadcock (1970, 351) suggest that the hospital was suppressed along with Tristernagh Priory (WM011-053----) in 1540 but it is not mentioned in the priory extents. In 1837 John O’Donovan visited Kilbixy where he found the following; ‘1. The Leper-house (WM011-040001-), a mere ruin; 2. The site of the castle (WM011-040006-), but no remains whatever of its walls; 3. A moat (WM011-039----), surrounded by one circular fosse; 4. Site of the gallows. A holy well (WM011-038----) near the church called the well of St. Bigseach’ (Cogan 1870, 577).
Situated within the graveyard (WM011-040005-), south-east of St. Bigseach’s church (WM011-040002-). Rectangular, three-storeyed building with walls averaging 1.3m in thickness. The masonry consists of roughly coursed mixed stone with a rubble core. External dims. 14.5 by 9.45 m. The north, west and south walls stand to a height of 8-10m and are covered with ivy to a depth of 68-78cm. A 2.5m stretch of the east wall survives to a height of 78cm. The ground floor is filled with rubble but there are signs that it was divided into two barrel vaulted rooms, along the short axis of the building. There is a flat lintelled door with internal splay in the south-east wall and an opening in the north-west wall indicates either a window or a door. Immediately east of the opening in the north wall is a curved and lintelled recess, now blocked. The first floor has a large rectangular window, with internal splay and round rear arch in the north wall. The west wall has a possible door splayed internally with flattened arch and a bar hole on the south side. There is an opening in the south wall, which was probably a window. Projecting masonry on the south-west corner may indicate a small chamber here but it was not possible to determine it with certainty. The second floor rested upon a floor ledge but the thickness of the ivy obscures features above this level’. The 1656 Down Survey map of Kilbixy parish depicts a small tower standing to the S of Kilbixy fortified church (WM011-040002-) which appears to be the remains of Bridget's Hospital (NLI, MS 723-4).

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 27 May 2014

References

Bradley, J., Halpin, A., and King, H. 1985 Urban archaeological survey - county Westmeath. Unpublished report commissioned by the Office of Public Works, Dublin.

Cogan, Rev. A. 1862-70 Ecclesiastical history of the diocese of Meath: ancient and modern. (3 vols) Dublin: John Fowler, Joseph Dollard

NLI, MS 723-4 - National Library of Ireland, The parish maps of the Down Survey for the County of Westmeath, attested by W. Petty, in 1659. Copied by Daniel O'Brien. A set of 67 maps with accompanying terriers in two volumes, 1786-7. Dublin.

Lawlor, H.J. 1912-13 A Calendar of the Register of Archbishop Fleming. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 30, 94-190.

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

Lee, G.A. 1974-5 The leper hospitals of the upper Shannon area. Journal of the Old Athlone Society 1 (4), 222-9.