Monasticon hibernicum, or, A history of the abbeys, priories, and other religious houses in Ireland

Author: Archdall, Mervyn

Year: 1786

Athenry; Gives name to the barony, and is a market and borough town, sending burgesses to parliament.

Dominican Friary; Meyler de Bermingham, the second baron of Athenry, gave to the Dominican friars 160 marcs, to assist in building this house, and granted the land whereon to erect it; he also presented to them (on the completion of the building, as we suppose) a hogshead of wine. De Bermingham was induced to begin this work by letters from St. Dominick; and a noble monastery was erected here, under the invocation of St. Peter and St. Paul, in the year 1241.

A.D. 1242. A general chapter of the order was held here. 

1252. Meyler, the founder, dying near Cashel this year, he was removed from thence and interred in this friary.

1256. Died Florence M’Flin, archbishop of Tuam; he founded a house for scholars in this friary, and bequeathed many exemplary rules for the practice of the friars.

1263. Thomas O’ Kelly, bishop of Clonfert, was interred in this church ; he built the vault near the north side of the high altar, whither he caused all the scattered bones to be removed ; the bishop was a liberal benefactor to this friary, exclusive of so particular an instance.

1271. Died Walter, Earl of Ulster, a munificent benefactor to this house.

1297. A great dispute arose between the friars of this house and William, archbishop of Tuam, the son of their founder ; it is supposed, that the friars laid a claim to be exempt from his visitation, on which the archbishop behaved with a violence unbecoming his sacred character and dignity, but the end of the contest is not known. 

131 1. A general chapter of the order was held here; and in the course of the next year, we meet with another general chapter which also was held here. 

1324. Died William de Burgh, commonly called the Grey; he, together with his wife, Finola Nyn J. Brian, gave to the friars above a hundred marcs, to assist in building the front of their church. They also enlarged the choir upwards of twenty feet, and granted to the abbot and convent the tithes of all their farms, at the same time appointing this friary to be the burial place of their family, which had formerly been at Athassel.

1374. Thomas, Lord Athenry, who died this year, or in 1376, granted to the friary eighteen acres of arable land. He was also a considerable benefactor to them in many other respects. 

1400. Pope Boniface IX. granted certain indulgences to all persons visiting this monastery on particular festivals, provided they charitably assisted in the building and necessary repairs.

1423. This monastery, with its churches and other buildings, being consumed by fire, Pope Martin V. did also grant certain indulgences to all persons visiting it on the feasts of St. Patrick and St. Peter ad Vincula, and contributing to its repairs. 

1427. The same Pope issued a licence to the friars to found two convents here. 

1445. Pope Eugene IV. enforced the bull of Martin V. for repairing this house; and it appears from this bull, dated March 31st, that there were about thirty friars here. 

1451. Their chapel was built in this year. See 1484.

1456. The following grants were made to this friary: — By the Lord Richard Burgh, a half-quarter of arable land in Toulubane, called Ballyglass ; by Richard Burgh, who did afterwards take on him the cowl in this house, another quarter in Carnan; by Ulick de Burgh, the cartron, a muir, and a teampuil tualbane, and the cartron of Lisoylalayan, Gortorahiky, and Gortnavadag, with other particles annexed to these ; and M’Redmond Burke, of Cloghnanonvir, a half quarter of Tempal an brahar. 

1484. Ulick Rufus Burgh, and his wife Mornia Ny Cnougher, granted to them a quarter of arable land, called Carrowardahrah, in the territory and village of Toulubane, and on the north side of the river; on this land they built a chapel in the year 1451. He (Burgh) did also present them with many other gifts. This grant was confirmed by Ulick. his son, who was also a benefactor to this friary.

July 8th, and 6th year of Queen Elizabeth, this monastery, with its appurtenances, thirty acres of land in Athenry, and twelve in the town of Ballidana, were granted for ever, in capite, to the portrive and burgesses of the town of Athenry, at the yearly rent of 26s. 4d, Irish money.

Many persons of eminence were interred here, whose names we shall give in order as they are placed in the obituary belonging to this friary, which obituary is now in the custody of the Dominican friary near Athenry. 0

1243. Richard de Burgh, surnamed the Great, son of William, and Lord of Connaught.

1263. Thomas O’Kelly, bishop of Clonfert.

1 270. William Athankip, son of Richard de Burgh the Great.

1271. Walter de Burgh, Earl of Ulster.

1283. Maurice Ileyan, bishop of Kilmacduach.

1307. Pierce, Lord Athenry.

1316. Thomas, son of Richard de Burgh, Earl of Ulster; he was buried in the Dominican habit.

1324. William de Burgh, called the Grey, and his wife, Finola Nyn J. Brian.

1326. Rickard, Earl of Ulster, called the Red Earl.

1333. William, Earl of Ulster, called Iarla Don.

1353. William, son of William the Grey, called Uliog Anaghkeen.

i374» or 1376. Thomas, Lord Athenry.

1375. Edmund, son of William Burgh, called Albanach.

1387. Rickard, son of William Anaghkeen, called Oge.

1396. Rickard, son of William Oge Burgh.

1399 . Nicholas Ileyan, bishop of Kilmacduach.

1406. Rickard, son of Hubert de Burgh of Iserkeally.

1424. Ulick, son of Rickard Oge Burgh.

1429. William, son of the same.

1452. Edmund, son of Redmond Burgh.

1466. Rickard, son of William, the son of Rickard Oge.

1484. Ulick Rufus Burgh.

1509. Lord Ulick Fion de Knocto, son of the aforesaid Ulick.

1530. Lord Rickard Burgh, of Dunkellin ; he was a considerable benefactor to the convent.

In the beginning of this century, the following inscription was legible over the gate of the refectory : —

“ CAROLUS MANUS RUBRAs ME FIERI FECIT.”

It cannot be the King of Connaught of that name, for he died in the year 1224, seventeen years before the foundation of the convent. 

This friary continued for many years the cemetery of the Athenry family, and is at present that of many families of the first rank.

Here follows a rent roll of the possessions of this house.

In Athenry, a piece of ground walled in, containing a large and excellent mill, at the very gate of the convent, and several houses ; without the town, the village of Gluaimhean Bhauin, which did formerly belong to the Benedictines ; another very extensive field near the town to the south, called the Forest of the Brethren ; at the north side, a field, called Balle Dhay, where is a chapel belonging to the convent ; a mile from the town, to the north-east, is another farm, called Bingharra; the cell of Kilcorban, with a good farm; in the parish of Grainseagh, between Binmor and Rathglass, is a large and fertile village, called Rathchaluige-madh-lubain an teampuill, together with a chapel.

The ruins which remain of this friary, prove it to have been a sumptuous building; part of it was taken down to erect in its room the present barracks, and the cloisters probably stood where the barrack-yard is now ; the whole was well built of a blue coloured stone; the tower, for half its height, is larger below than above. The great east window is bold and of good workmanship; there were here numbers of mausoleums, but the soldiers have erased them all, and with their fragments the church is nearly covered.