Ferns Abbey () is a ruined Augustinian abbey in

Ferns A fern (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta ) is a member of a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. The polypodiophytes include all living pteridophytes except th ...

, County Wexford,

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. Likely built on the site of an early Christian monastic site founded by

Máedóc of Ferns Saint Máedóc of Ferns (; 6th & 7th century), also known as Saint Aidan ( ga, Áedan; cy, Aeddan; la, Aidanus and '), or Saint Mogue ( ga, Mo Aodh Óg), was an Irish saint who was the first Bishop of Ferns in County Wexford and the f ...

, the standing remains were built by

Diarmait Mac Murchada Diarmait Mac Murchada ( Modern Irish: Diarmaid Mac Murchadha), anglicised as Dermot MacMurrough, Dermod MacMurrough, or Dermot MacMorrogh (c. 1110 – c. 1 May 1171), was a King of Leinster in Ireland. In 1167, he was deposed by the High King ...

c.1160. The abbey was suppressed on 7 April 1539. The abbey was claustral in layout, and features an unusual tower that is half square, half round. Partially rebuilt in 1846, many original architectural elements were damaged at this time.

History

The abbey is built on the site of previous ecclesiastical foundations. The site was originally home to an oratory dedicated to

. Diarmait Mac Murchada constructed two abbeys on the site. The first was built sometime prior to 1160, was dedicated to Máedóc (also known as Saint Aidan), and was named Saint Aidan's Monastery. This monastery was burnt down in 1154, and was rebuilt to create the final structure on the site. A charter for the construction of the final abbey was granted to

by the Augustinians between 1160 and 1162. The abbey was suppressed on 7 April 1539.

Architecture

The abbey was built in the Romanesque architectural style. Today, only a tower, a stretch of wall, and a small, ruined chamber survive. Excavations of the church carried out in 1910 revealed the foundations of several other elements of the abbey. The abbey was partially re-built by the owners in 1846, during which many of the original architectural details were damaged. The abbey was claustral in layout and featured a cloister garth measuring by . The

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

of the

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * C ...

narrowed slightly from west to east, a feature found in several early churches in Ireland, and regarded as a mark of architectural refinement. The church featured a

chancel In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar, including the choir and the sanctuary (sometimes called the presbytery), at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may terminate in an apse. Ov ...

, sacristy, and a priest's chambers; the chancel and the priest's chambers featured stone vaulted ceilings. The abbey's tower is considered unusual as it is square at the base but changes to a round tower. The square portion is tall, while the round portion is tall, for a total height of . This is considered illustrative of the transition which was taking place from the "detached"

round tower A fortified tower (also defensive tower or castle tower or, in context, just tower) is one of the defensive structures used in fortifications, such as castles, along with curtain walls. Castle towers can have a variety of different shapes and fu ...

History

Architecture

References

Notes

Sources