List of monastic houses in Ireland explained

This is a list of the abbeys, priories, friaries and other monastic religious houses in Ireland.

This article provides a gazetteer for the whole of Ireland.

Links to individual county lists

To navigate the listings on this page, use the map or the table of contents. Alternatively, for listings which include the geographical coordinates and online references specific to the listed establishments, or if the entire listing is difficult to navigate, follow the links here (these links are also provided in the headings to each county in the main listing on this page):

Overview

Article layout

The list is presented alphabetically by County. Foundations are listed alphabetically within each county.

Communities/provenance: shows the status and communities existing at each establishment, together with such dates as have been established as well as the fate of the establishment after dissolution, and the current status of the site.

Formal Name or Dedication: shows the formal name of the establishment or the person in whose name the church is dedicated, where known.

Alternative Names: some of the establishments have had alternative names over the course of time. In order to assist in text-searching such alternatives in name or spelling have been provided.

In this article smaller establishments such as cells and notable monastic granges (particularly those with resident monks) and camerae of the military orders of monks (Templars and Hospitallers) are included. The numerous monastic hospitals per se are not included here unless at some time the foundation had, or was purported to have, the status or function of an abbey, priory, friary or preceptory/commandery.

Abbreviations and key

The sites listed are ruins or fragmentary
remains unless indicated thus:
current monastic function
+current non-monastic ecclesiastic function
^current non-ecclesiastic function
=remains incorporated into later structure
no identifiable trace of the monastic foundation remains
~exact site of monastic foundation unknown
øpossibly no such monastic foundation at location
¤no such monastic foundation
identification ambiguous or confused
Locations with names in italics indicate probable duplication (misidentification with another location)
or non-existent foundations (either erroneous reference or proposed foundation never implemented).
Trusteeship denoted as follows:
NIEAScheduled Monument (NI)
NMNational Monument (ROI)
C.I.Church of Ireland
R.C.Roman Catholic Church

List of Houses by County

Northern Ireland

County Antrim

(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in County Antrim )Return to top of page

County Armagh

(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in County Armagh )Return to top of page

County Down

(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in County Down )Return to top of page

County Fermanagh

(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in County Fermanagh )Return to top of page

County Londonderry

(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in County Londonderry )Return to top of page

County Tyrone

(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in County Tyrone )Return to top of page

Republic of Ireland

County Carlow

(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in County Carlow )Return to top of page

County Cavan

(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in County Cavan )Return to top of page

County Clare

(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in County Clare )Return to top of page

County Cork

(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in County Cork )Return to top of page

County Donegal

(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in County Donegal )Return to top of page

County Dublin

(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in County Dublin )Return to top of page

County Galway

(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in County Galway )Return to top of page

County Kerry

(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in County Kerry )Return to top of page

County Kildare

(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in County Kildare )Return to top of page

County Kilkenny

(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in County Kilkenny )Return to top of page

County Laois

(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in County Laois )Return to top of page

County Leitrim

(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in County Leitrim )Return to top of page

County Limerick

(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in County Limerick )Return to top of page

County Longford

(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in County Longford )Return to top of page

County Louth

(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in County Louth )Return to top of page

County Mayo

(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in County Mayo )Return to top of page

County Meath

(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in County Meath )Return to top of page

County Monaghan

(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in County Monaghan )Return to top of page

County Offaly

(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in County Offaly )Return to top of page

County Roscommon

(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in County Roscommon )Return to top of page

County Sligo

(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in County Sligo )Return to top of page

County Tipperary

(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in County Tipperary )Return to top of page

County Waterford

(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in County Waterford )Return to top of page

County Westmeath

(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in County Westmeath )Return to top of page

County Wexford

(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in County Wexford )Return to top of page

County Wicklow

(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in County Wicklow )Return to top of page

Locations to be established

width = 15%Foundationwidth = 5%Imagewidth = 30%Communities & Provenancewidth = 20%Formal Name or Dedication
& Alternative Names
width = 10%OnLine References
Acrimensis Friary ~Augustinian Friarspossibly Aughrim, County Galway
Airdne Dairinnse Monastery ~early monastic site, founded by 6th centuryArdnense
Ballineval Abbey (?) ~Premonstratensian Canons
daughter of Prémonetré;
founded before c.1290;
dissolution unknown
Balinvalensis;
Ballalan?
also suggested to be Lough Oughter or Ballymore
Ballistellensis Friary ~Augustinian Friars[1] Ballistellensis in Connacht
Belluir Friary ~≈?Carmelite Friars[2] possibly Ballinahinch
Bellufamensis Friary ~≈?Augustinian FriarsBellufamensis in Connacht;
possibly Ballyhaunis
Cluaine-tochne Monastery ~≈?early monastic site, founded before 765
Deroten Friary ~Franciscan Friars[3]
Dissert-Chendubhain Monastery ~early monastic site, cell founded 6th century by St Abban
Dissert-ternog Monastery ~early monastic site, founded before 819;
situated west of River Barrow
Dominensis Friary ~≈?Augustinian Friars;
possible former house of Augustinian Canons
possibly Dunmore, County Galway or Devenish, County Fermanagh
Domnach-ceirne Monastery ~early monastic site, nuns
Glen-fuaid Monastery ~early monastic site, founded before 977, suggested to be located near Sliabh Fuaid, County Armagh, or Glenranny, County Waterford
Imgoe-Mar-Cerrigi Monastery ~early monastic site, founded 5th century by St Patrick, possibly located at Emmoo, County RoscommonImgoe-Mar-Cerrigi in Connacht;
Imgae-mair-cerrige
Inisconla Monastery ~early monastic site, possibly Foynes Island, County Limerick, or Carrig Island, County Kerry; "Abbey"[4] Inis-connla;
Inis-cunla
Letuba Monastery ~early monastic site, founded before 773; possibly located near the River LiffeyLeath-abha;
Leth-abha
Mag-Giallain Monastery ~early monastic site, mentioned 1310; possibly located in County Mayo or County Roscommon
Molingar Friary ~Carmelite Friars, possible post-Reformation foundation at Mullingar, County Westmeath if not MilltownMilltown?
Mont Savachu Friary ~≈?Carmelite Friars; possibly located in Ulster (if Savacense)Savacensis / Savacense?;
Savacense Friary ~≈?Carmelite Friars, probable post-Reormation foundationSavacense in Ulster;
Mont Savachu?;

See also

Sources

Notes and References

  1. Louis Augustin Alemand, Monasticum Hibernicum, translated and edited by John Stevens, 1722, pp.301,312,331
  2. Fonds Grand Carmes
  3. Louis Augustin Alemand, Monasticon Hibernicum, translated and edited by John Stevens, 1722, p.235, gives a friary in the custody of Drogheda
  4. Ordnance Survey