Religious house - Cistercian nuns

The National Monuments Service's description

Historical documentation suggests that the nunnery at Lough Sewdy was located on the same site as the Priory (WM024-034---) of St. Mary's Lough Sewdy. In 1306 the ecclesiastical taxation of Ireland valued the ‘Temporalities of the nuns de Lox’ [Loughsewdy, co. Westmeath] as worth ½ a mark a year (Cal. doc. Ire., 258, 266). In 1417 there is a reference to Margaret, the prioress, and the convent of the Cistercian monastery of Loughseudy [alias Ballymore Lough-Seudy] (Costello 1909, 86). A note in the annates states that ‘it appears from the above annat entry that the nunnery of Lochseudy being abandoned by the nuns had been turned into a priory of Regular Austin canons – why the nuns left, or precisely when they did so, I have note so far been able to make out – a bull in the Vatican archives dating from 1417 states that ‘Margaret, prioress of S. Mary’s Loughseudy, of the Cistercian order, and the convent of that house had some time before, using their right of presentation to the rectory of St. Patrick, Magmora [Mayvore]’ (Costello 1909, 101). In 1427 there is a reference to Johanna, prioress of S. Mary’s Lough Sewdy , of the Cistercian Order, to whom by ancient and approved usage the right of presentation to Killfyelan belonged’ (Costello 1909, 179). In 1453 there is a reference to 'the prioress and convent of the Cistercian nuns' priory de lochsydii (i.e. Lochsydy) in the diocese of Meath' (Cal. papal letters, 670).
The Urban Survey of Westmeath (Bradley et. al. 1985, 69) recorded that 'according to Ware this convent was established in 1218 by a member of the de Lacy family. Little is known of its subsequent history apart from the names of some of the prioresses. It appears to have fallen into decline in thef fifteenth century and it has been suggested that it was abandoned c.1470 (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 313). The site is not known for certain but it may be identified with the monastery marked on the O.S. maps at the southern end of Mullaghcloe townland where it borders on Clonnamanagh. Here there is a two storey farmhouse with thick walls which may incorporate parts of an earlier building. Two piscinas are built into the house, one in the entrance hall which is decorated with a trefoil in false relief; the other is in the bathroom and is not exposed to view. The owners informed us that the convent was located in the adjoining townland of Clonbane (pronounced Cloony mon.)'. In 1682 Sir Henry Piers described the nunnery at Ballymore as ‘adjoining to this town is the old dissolved monastery of Plary; (WM024-032----) here was formerly both a friary and nunnery, but in separated buildings, both of the Cistercian order; the land hereunto belonging are said to belong to the bishop of Meath, yet are witholden from the see, either by the adventurer, or the Lord Netterville' (Vallancey 1786, 79-80).

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 21 August 2014

References

Cal. doc. Ire. - Calendar of documents relating to Ireland 1171-1307, ed. H.S. Sweetman (5 vols., London, 1875-86).

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

Costello, M. A. 1909, De annatis Hiberniæ : a calendar of the first fruits' fees levied on papal appointments to benefices in Ireland A.D. 1400 to 1535 extracted from the Vatican and other roman archives with copious topographical notes together with summaries of papal rescripts relating to benefices in Ireland and biographical notes of the bishops of Irish sees during the same period. Dundalk. W. Tempest.

Vallancey, C. (ed.) 1786 Collectanea de rebus hibernicis, Volume 1. Dublin. Luke White.

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

Cal. papal letters - Calendar of entries in the papal registers relating to Great Britain and Ireland: papal letters, 1198-1484 [etc.] (London, 1893-)