Finola O'Donnell (), also known as Nuala O'Donnell, was a 15th-century Irish noblewoman remembered for cofounding the

Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related Mendicant orders, mendicant Christianity, Christian Catholic religious order, religious orders within the Catholic Church. Founded in 1209 by Italian Catholic friar Francis of Assisi, these orders include t ...

Monastery in

Donegal Donegal may refer to: County Donegal, Ireland * County Donegal, a county in the Republic of Ireland, part of the province of Ulster * Donegal (town), a town in County Donegal in Ulster, Ireland * Donegal Bay, an inlet in the northwest of Ireland b ...

. Finola was born to O’Brien (Conor-na-Srona) and later married to Hugh Roe O’Donnell, son of Niall Garve O’Donnell. Sources record her as having been a very charitable woman. In 1474, Finola O’Donnell helped establish the Franciscan

Monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which ...

in Donegal with her husband. The monastery was given to God and the friars of St. Francis. It was meant as a place “for the prosperity of their own souls” as well as a “burial place for themselves and their descendants.” Finola died in 1528. Between the years of 1632 and 1636, the monastery served as the location for the writing of ''

The Annals of the Four Masters The ''Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland'' ( ga, Annála Ríoghachta Éireann) or the ''Annals of the Four Masters'' (''Annála na gCeithre Máistrí'') are chronicles of medieval Irish history. The entries span from the Deluge, dated as 2,24 ...

''. The authors were said to scour the country for information during the warm seasons and stay within the monastery to write during the cold.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:ODonnell, Finola 1528 deaths 15th-century Irish people Year of birth unknown Irish nobility Women founders Founders of Catholic religious communities 15th-century Irish women