List of monastic houses in County Donegal
Overview
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.
Article layout
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.
Monastic Glossary: following the listing, provides links to articles on the particular monastic orders as well as other terms which appear in the listing.
Abbreviations and Key
Locations with names in italics indicate probable duplication (misidentification with another location) |
|
Alphabetical listing of establishments
Foundation | Image | Communities & Provenance | Formal Name or Dedication & Alternative Names | OnLine References & Location |
---|---|---|---|---|
Ard Mhuire Friary * | Capuchin Franciscan Friars | [1] 55°07′22″N 7°54′37″W / 55.1226618°N 7.9102421°W | ||
Assaroe Abbey | Cistercian monks — from Boyle daughter of Boyle founded 1178 by Roderick O'Cananan, Prince of Tyrconnell or Flaharty; colonized 1179 or 1184; dedicated 1184 by Flaharty O'Muldorry; burnt 1377; plundered by Niall Óg O'Neill, King of Tyrone 1398; dissolved after 1597; granted to Anthony Fyrres 1586 |
God and St Bernard ____________________ Astrath; | 54°30′33″N 8°12′03″W / 54.509034°N 8.200937°W | |
Aughnish Monastery | early monastic site, probably not continuing into 11th century; erenaghs until 16th century |
Each-inis; Tullyaughnish | ||
Balleeghan Friary | Franciscan Friars, Third Order Regular founded c.1471; dissolved 1603; granted to James Fullerton 1603 |
Baile-Aighedh-Chaoin; Baile-Fhindhetain; Ballagha | 54°58′52″N 7°36′22″W / 54.981219°N 7.606091°W | |
Ballymacswiney Friary | Franciscan Friars, Third Order Regular founded 1646 or 1469 by MacSwiney; dissolved before 1607; sold to Sir Ralph Bingley by Henry Perse,1612 |
Baile-mic-suibhne; Bailli-macquinadoe; Mukish, nr. Castle Doe | 55°08′18″N 7°54′50″W / 55.1384624°N 7.9139328°W | |
Ballymagrorty Monastery (Drumhome parish) | early monastic site, founded 6th century by St Colmcille | Ballymagroarty | 54°33′01″N 8°08′07″W / 54.5502386°N 8.1353331°W (approx) | |
Ballysaggart Friary | Franciscan Friars, Third Order Regular
founded c.1500(?) by the Mac-Ruini-Faigs (Mac Swiney Banagh?); |
Baile-na-sagart; Fan-an-chartha; Fanegarah; Fanogher; Fanegarah | 54°35′39″N 8°23′34″W / 54.594282°N 8.392811°W | |
Bochiminon Friary ~≈? | Carmelite Friars, possibly located in County Donegal, possibly Rathmullen | possibly Rathmullan | ||
Bothchonais Monastery | early monastic site, Gaelic monks, purportedly founded by Chonas, second husband of Darerca, sister of St Patrick; continuing 11th century |
Boithe-conais | 55°17′26″N 7°12′34″W / 55.2904555°N 7.2094345°W (approx) | |
Carrickmore Monastery | early monastic site coarbs until 16th century |
Carraic; Cairrge | 54°55′28″N 7°28′00″W / 54.924331°N 7.466755°W (approx) | |
Carrowmore Monastery | early monastic site | [2] 55°15′21″N 7°11′20″W / 55.255933°N 7.189007°W | ||
Clonca Monastery | early monastic site, Gaelic monks erenaghs until early 17th century |
[3] 55°16′04″N 7°10′25″W / 55.267845°N 7.173514°W (given as 55°22′14″N 7°19′48″W / 55.3704782°N 7.3299408°W on Ordnance Survey map, 1965 - not on 1960 map) | ||
Clondahorkey Monastery | early monastic site; erenagh land 16th-17th century |
|||
Clonenagh Monastery | early monastic site, founded 6th century by St Colmcille | Cluain-enach in Inishowen | ||
Clonfert-mulloe Monastery | early monastic site, founded before 605; dissolved after 925 |
Cluain-ferta-molua; Kyle | ||
Cluain-imurchir | early monastic site, in existence in the time of St Abban | Cluain-nimurchir; Cluain-immorchair | ||
Clonleigh Monastery | early monastic site, Gaelic monks founded c.530 by St Colmcille; erenaghs until 16th-17th century |
Cluain-laegh; Cluain-laig;Cluain-laodb; Croaghan-laodb; Cruachan-ligean; Druim-lighean; Drumleene | 54°51′05″N 7°28′56″W / 54.851439°N 7.482333°W | |
Clonmany Monastery | early monastic site, Gaelic monks founded 6th century by St Colmcille; probably continuing after 1111 |
Culmaine; Cluain-maine | 55°15′41″N 7°24′39″W / 55.2614141°N 7.4108791°W (approx) | |
Conwal Monastery | Gaelic monks founded in early 7th century; erenaghs until early 17th century |
Conwall Monastery | 54°56′31″N 7°46′58″W / 54.941960°N 7.782754°W | |
Cnodain Monastery | early monastic site[notes 1] | |||
Culdaff Monastery | early monastic site; erenaghs to 16th-17th century |
Culdabhach; Coldoch; Cooledagh | ||
Desertegny Monastery | early monastic site, Gaelic monks founded 6th century by St Colmcille; erenaghs until after 1397 |
Disert-eignigh | 55°11′12″N 7°30′54″W / 55.186696°N 7.515056°W (approx) | |
Domnach-mor-magene Monastery | early monastic site, Gaelic monks founded 5th century by St Patrick |
Domnachmormagene; Domnach-mor-Mag-ene | 54°28′53″N 8°16′23″W / 54.4813086°N 8.2730484°W (approx) | |
Donagh Monastery | early monastic site, Gaelic monks founded 5th century by St Patrick |
Carndonagh; Domnach-mor-maig-tochair; Domnach-mor-maig-glinne; Domnach-morglinnetochair; Domnachglinne Tochair; Domnachglinne Tochuir | 55°15′00″N 7°16′20″W / 55.249946°N 7.272107°W | |
Donaghmore Monastery | early monastic site, Gaelic monks founded 5th century by St Patrick for Dubudae; possibly continuing after 1111; desolated by 1179; erenagh lands until 1609 |
Domnach-mor-maige-itha; Donagmore | 54°47′29″N 7°33′09″W / 54.7912836°N 7.5525856°W | |
Donegal Friary | Observant Franciscan Friars founded 1474 (or 1473) by Aodh Rua (Hugh Rufus) O'Donnell, chief of Tirconnell, and his mother, Nuala O'Connor; plundered and garrisoned by the English 1588; English driven away by Red Hugh 1592; repaired and re-occupied by 1600; abandoned 1601; dissolved 1601; 17th century place of refuge at Lough Eske; removed to Rossnowlagh (extant); (NM) |
'Donegal Abbey' ; Donegall; Duin-na-gall; Dunangall; Dungallen | [4] 54°39′02″N 8°06′56″W / 54.6504672°N 8.1154257°W | |
Drumhome Monastery | early monastic site, Gaelic monks possibly continuing after 1111; erenaghs at least until c.1609 |
Druim-thuoma; Druim-tuama; Drimholm; Mullanacross | 54°35′59″N 8°08′33″W / 54.5997405°N 8.1425858°W | |
Eskaheen Monastery | early monastic site | Iskaheen; Uisce-chaoin; Uskechaoin | 55°05′22″N 7°16′51″W / 55.0895192°N 7.2809315°W (approx) | |
Fahan Monastery | Gaelic monks founded 6th century by St Colmcille; possibly continuing after 10th century; C.I. parochial church built on site 17th century, now ruined |
Fathen-mura; Athan-mura; Fothenmor;Othain-mor; Faynwor; Upper Fahan | 55°05′00″N 7°27′39″W / 55.083211°N 7.460766°W | |
Gartan-Rath Monastery | early monastic site, Gaelic monks founded 521 by St Colmcille |
Garton; Gartan; Gortan | 55°00′56″N 7°54′31″W / 55.015640°N 7.908705°W | |
Glencolumbkille Monastery | early monastic site, Gaelic monks founded 6th century by St Colmcille; church on site demolished 1828; C.I. parochial church built on site |
Glenn-choluim-chille; Seinglean; Senglend | 54°42′37″N 8°43′31″W / 54.7101438°N 8.7252045°W | |
Grellagh Monastery | early monastic site | Greallach; Templemoyle | ||
Inishkeel Monastery | early monastic site, Gaelic monks founded before c.580 |
Inis Keel; Inis-caoil; Inis-coel | 54°50′51″N 8°27′17″W / 54.8476091°N 8.4548378°W | |
Inis Saimer Monastery ~ | purported monastic site, location given as island off St John's Point[notes 2] — island does not exist; identified as Assaroe[notes 3] q.v. |
Ines Samer; cf Assaroe | 54°30′03″N 8°12′01″W / 54.500949°N 8.200342°W | |
Inver Monastery | early monastic site, Gaelic monks founded 6th century by St Náile of Kinawley; in parochial use until 1807 |
Inber-naile | 54°38′49″N 8°16′50″W / 54.646836°N 8.280537°W | |
Inver Friary ø | purported Franciscan Friars, Third Order Regular[notes 4] | |||
Kilbarron Monastery | early monastic site, Gaelic monks founded 6th century by St Colmcille; erenaghs until early 17th century |
Cell-barrainne; Kilvanny | 54°32′05″N 8°12′58″W / 54.5347289°N 8.2162285°W (approx) | |
Kilcar Monastery | early monastic site, Gaelic monks founded 6th century by St. Carthach |
Kilcartaich; Cell-charthaigh; Killen | 54°38′01″N 8°35′31″W / 54.6335115°N 8.5919094°W (approx) | |
Killaghtee Monastery | early monastic site, ruins of three churches; erenagh land until 1609 |
Cell-aedh-leacht | ||
Killybegs Friary | Franciscan Friars, Third Order Regular founded c.1535–1540 by MacSwiny Bannagh; dissolved c.1600; Observant Franciscan Friars place of refuge c.1641; church in C.I. parochial use until 1829 |
St. Catherine ____________________ Cell-beaga;Calebeg; Colebeg; Callobegg-Boylaugh; Kilbeg | 54°38′07″N 8°27′00″W / 54.6352999°N 8.4499454°W | |
Killybegs Monastery | early monastic site; erenaghs until 1609 |
|||
Killydonnell Friary | Franciscan Friars, Third Order Regular founded 1471 by Calvagh O'Donnell, on grant of petition to the Pope by Franciscan brothers Dermit Idurnyn and Dermit Magillacsbuig; dissolved c.1603; granted to Captain Basil Brooke |
Cell Ua dTomhrair; Cell-ua-dtomhrair; Kill-odtonaire; Kill-O-Donel | [5] 55°01′24″N 7°37′00″W / 55.0232006°N 7.616787°W | |
Kilmacrenan Friary | Franciscan Friars, Third Order Regular founded c.1537 by Manus O'Donnell on an early monastic site (see immediately below); dissolved 1603 |
Doire Eithne; Cell-mic-Nenain; Cell-mac-n-enain; Cell-mic-creunain; Kilmictrenain | 55°01′50″N 7°46′40″W / 55.0304818°N 7.7778053°W | |
Kilmacrenan Monastery | early monastic site, Gaelic monks possibly continuing after 1111; site of Franciscan friary (see immediately above) | |||
Kilmonaster Monastery | Cistercian monks founded c.1194 by E. O'Dogharty of Tirconnel; dissolved before 1228: united to Assaroe presumably before 1228; grange |
Kilfothuir; Hilfothuir; Kill-Fothuir; Cillifori; Kyfeire | 54°49′35″N 7°34′38″W / 54.8264035°N 7.5773048°W | |
Leck Monastery | early monastic site; erenaghs until 1609[notes 5] |
Lackovenan; Leac; Liacc | ||
Lough Derg Friary — Saints Island | Augustinian Canons Regular founded on Station Island (see immediately below) c.1130; Franciscan Friars founded before 1631 |
54°36′56″N 7°53′07″W / 54.615638°N 7.885235°W | ||
Lough Derg Priory — Station Island (see St Patrick's Purgatory) |
early monastic site, Gaelic monks founded 5th century by St Patrick or St Dabeoc in the time of St Patrick; Augustinian Canons Regular dependent on Armagh, probably by St Malachy; founded c.1130 (after 1134); Augustinian Canons Regular — Arroasian; adopted after 1140; plundered 1196 by an O'Cairin; destroyed 1207 by Bratachas O'Boyle and M'Mahon; transferred to Saints Island; dissolved after 1600? |
St Debeog; St Patrick ____________________ Finnloch; Termon Dabeoc | 54°36′57″N 7°52′55″W / 54.6159213°N 7.8820038°W | |
Lough Derg Monastery — Station Island | Franciscan Friars founded 1763; dissolved 1781, passed to the clergy of the Diocese of Clogher |
[6] | ||
Lough Eske | Franciscan Friars Minor, Conventual, place of refuge 17th century from Donegal | |||
Magherabeg Friary | Franciscan Friars, Third Order Regular founded after/c.1430 by Niall Garbh[notes 6] O'Donnell;[notes 7] dissolved 1601 |
An-macaire-beg; Macairebeg; Magherybeg | 54°38′29″N 8°07′03″W / 54.641299°N 8.117411°W | |
Malin Monastery ø | ancient church, purportedly monastic[notes 8] | Mala | ||
Mevagh Monastery | early monastic site, Gaelic monks; erenaghs to 1609; remains of church and cross |
Midhbheach; Midbech | 55°10′37″N 7°47′37″W / 55.176852°N 7.793480°W | |
Moville Monastery | early monastic site, Gaelic monks | Domnachbile; Magbile; Norborgh | 55°11′17″N 7°02′26″W / 55.1881296°N 7.0404339°W (approx) | |
Moyra Monastery, Ray | site occupied by remains of a 16th-century church | |||
Mukish Monastery ø | purported monastic site - probably Ballymacswiney, q.v. | Muckish | ||
Racoon Monastery, nr. Ballintra |
early monastic site, Patrician monks founded c.440 |
Raithcungi; Raghcunga | 54°34′33″N 8°07′37″W / 54.5759174°N 8.1269217°W (approx) | |
Raphoe Monastery | early monastic site, Gaelic monks founded 6th century by St Colmcille; possibly continuing after 1111; episcopal diocesan cathedral built on site |
Raith-both | [7] 54°52′14″N 7°36′14″W / 54.870503°N 7.603853°W | |
Rashenny Monastery, in Inishowen | purported early monastic site — confusion with Rath-eanich (Raymoghy, q.v.) | |||
Rashenny Monastery, nr Killybegs Harbour | purported early monastic site — confusion with Rathen, County Mayo[notes 9] | |||
Rathmullan Priory | Carmelite Friars possiblyfounded 1403 and subsequently failed, or (refounded?) 1516 by Owen Roe MacSweeney (Mac Suine Fanagh); plundered by Bingham 1595; dissolved; granted to Sir James Fullerton; assigned to Sir Ralph Bingley; rebuilt as a fortified house by Andrew Knox, Bishop of Raphoe, who had obtained the manor from Turlogh Oge Mac Sweeney; convent in existence c.1737 |
St Mary ____________________ Rath-maonlain; Rath-mullin; Bath-Mullian; Bochminon? | 55°05′40″N 7°32′11″W / 55.094313°N 7.536457°W | |
Raymoghy Monastery | Gaelic monks possibly not continuing after 10th century |
54°56′35″N 7°37′54″W / 54.9429211°N 7.6315498°W | ||
Rossnowlagh Friary * | Franciscan friars founded 1946; church and friary opened 1952; extant |
[8] 54°32′49″N 8°12′23″W / 54.546907°N 8.206317°W | ||
Slieve League Monastery | early monastic site, hermitage associated with St Aedh mac Bricc and St Assicus; erenagh until at least 1609 |
Sliab-liac | ||
Taughboyne Monastery | early monastic site, Gaelic monks founded before 635/6 by St Fintan Munna |
Tech-baithin | 54°56′25″N 7°31′35″W / 54.9402095°N 7.5263214°W | |
Temple Douglas | 54°58′05″N 7°52′12″W / 54.9680565°N 7.8699875°W | |||
Templecrone Monastery | early monastic site; erenaghs until at least 1609 |
Tempall-croine | ||
Temple Douglas Monastery | early monastic site, purportedly founded 6th century by St Colmcille at church of St Cruithnechan, where he was baptised | Tempall-dubglaise | ||
Toghernegomarkie Monastery | early monastic site; erenagh lands until at least 1609 |
Tochar-negomarkie; Ballybogan | ||
Tory Island Abbey #? | early monastic site, Columban monks traditionally founded 6th century by St Colmcille; probably used as a regufe by religious orders during the reign of Elizabeth I; ruined and plundered by George Bingham 1595 (NM) |
Torach; Toraidhe; Torre | 55°15′52″N 8°13′45″W / 55.2643486°N 8.2292747°W (approx) | |
Tullaghobegley Monastery | early monastic site, founded by an O'Begley; erenaghs until 1609 |
Tulach-an-bigli | 55°06′18″N 8°05′27″W / 55.1050873°N 8.090744°W (approx) | |
Tullyfern Monastery | early monastic site; erenaghs until 1609 |
Tulach-fionn |
Glossary
Map link to lists of monastic houses in Ireland by county
|
Notes
- ↑ mentioned by Wm Cobbett
- ↑ Mervyn Archdall, Monasticon Hibernicum, 1786, p.100
- ↑ L. A. Alemande, Monasticum Hibernicum, translated and edited by J. Stevens, 1722, p.204
- ↑ Mervyn Archdall, Monasticon Hibernicum, 1786, p.100, citing J. Ware, De Hibernia, et Antiquitatibus, ejus, 1754 edition, however that source lists only Inver in County Antrim as Franciscan
- ↑ J. B. Leslie, Raphoe Clergy and Parishes, 1940, p.103
- ↑ Coll. de Rebus Hibernicis, BM, Add. MS. 4814, Sloane, f. 4
- ↑ J. Ware, De Hibernia, et Antiquitatibus, 1654 edition, p.186
- ↑ Mevyn Archdall, Monasticon Hibernicum, 1786, p.103
- ↑ given as County Donegal by Mervyn Archdall, Monasticon Hibernicum, 1786, p.104