Muckross Abbey
Mainistir Locha Léinand Mainistir Mhucrois | |
Muckross Abbey, 2014 | |
Interactive map of Muckross Abbey | |
| Monastery information | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Friary of Irrelagh[1] |
| Denomination | Franciscan |
| Established | 1448 |
Muckross Abbey (Irish: Mainistir Locha Léinand Mainistir Mhucrois) is a ruined Franciscan friary located in the Killarney National Park, County Kerry, Ireland. Previously known as the "Friary of Irrelagh", the abbey was founded in 1448 for the Observantine Franciscans by Donal McCarthy Mor. Today the abbey is largely roofless, but retains most of its original walls.
History
The friary was originally known as the "Friary of Irrelagh", the abbey was founded in 1448 for the Observantine Franciscans by Donal McCarthy Mor[2][3]
During the late 16th century, the friary was attacked during the Desmond Rebellions under Elizabeth I In 1652, the friary was again targeted, this time by troops from a unit of Cromwell’s New Model Army, under the command of Edmond Ludlow. The soldiers deliberately removed the roof, leaving the friary uninhabitable. Several Franciscans were killed during the assault, while others fled abroad, primarily to France. The friary was subsequently abandoned.[4]
Muckross Abbey served as a burial place for local chieftains and poets during the 17th and 18th centuries, including Séafraidh Ó Donnchadha, Ó Rathaille and Ó Súilleabháin. Piaras Feiritéar, executed in 1653, is buried in the burial grounds surrounding the Abbey.[2][5]
Description
The ruins are located on the east side of Lough Leane, approximately nthree miles south of Killarney.[1]
The abbey consists of a rectangular nave and chancel, separated by a central tower, with a south transept. Adjoining the church is a cloister, around which were arranged the friary’s domestic buildings, including the dormitory, refectory, kitchen, and the prior’s residence.[1]
The chancel is lit by a large east window. It also contains several medieval architectural features, including a piscina, a sedilia, and multiple tomb recesses set into the walls.[5] The friary’s most striking feature is its central cloistered courtyard, which contains a large yew tree traditionally believed to be several centuries old.[4]
Gallery
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Layout of the Abbey
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The abbey in the 1890s
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Nave interior
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Abbey exterior view
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Abbey and cemetery
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See also
References
- ^ a b c Allen, J. Romilly (1892). "Notes on the Antiquities in Co. Kerry Visited by the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland and the Cambrian Archæological Association, August 1891". The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland. 2 (5): 158–170. Retrieved 7 March 2025.
- ^ a b "Killarney National Park". 23 March 2016. Archived from the original on 23 March 2016. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
- ^ Meehan, Cary (2004). Sacred Ireland. Somerset: Gothic Image Publications. p. 573. ISBN 0 906362 43 1.
- ^ a b "Muckross Franciscan Friary". Heritage Ireland. Retrieved 7 March 2025.
- ^ a b "Muckross Abbey". Megalithic Ireland. Retrieved 7 March 2025.
External links
- Media related to Muckross Abbey at Wikimedia Commons