The Murrisk Augustinian Friary, located in

County Mayo County Mayo (; ga, Contae Mhaigh Eo, meaning "Plain of the Taxus baccata, yew trees") is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. In the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Conn ...

, Ireland, was founded on lands granted by Thady O'Malley in 1457 by Hugh O'Malley of Banada Friary,

County Sligo County Sligo ( , gle, Contae Shligigh) is a county in Ireland. It is located in the Border Region and is part of the province of Connacht. Sligo is the administrative capital and largest town in the county. Sligo County Council is the local ...

who was granted permission by

Callixtus III Pope Callixtus III ( it, Callisto III, va, Calixt III, es, Calixto III; 31 December 1378 – 6 August 1458), born Alfonso de Borgia ( va, Alfons de Borja), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 April 1455 to his ...

to establish a church and priory at

Croagh Patrick Croagh Patrick (), nicknamed 'the Reek', is a mountain with a height of and an important site of pilgrimage in County Mayo, Ireland. The mountain has a pyramid-shaped peak and overlooks Clew Bay, rising above the village of Murrisk, several mil ...

because "the inhabitants of those parts have not hitherto been instructed in their faith.". The

friary 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 ...

is built on the site reputed to be that of the original church founded by

St. Patrick ST, St, or St. may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Stanza, in poetry * Suicidal Tendencies, an American heavy metal/hardcore punk band * Star Trek, a science-fiction media franchise * Summa Theologica, a compendium of Catholic philosophy an ...

. All that is left of Murrisk Abbey today are ruins consisting of a church with one central aisle (with battlemented walls and a fine east window), and the east wing of the Friary buildings. Behind the main altar space, the east window is the finest feature of the ruins. There was a belfry tower at the west end of the church, all that now survives of this tower is a vault. The church also contained the tombs of the family that founded it. Despite being suppressed at the reformation, the friary continued until 1577 when the friars were driven out - in common with friars of other Augustinian friaries, the friars remained locally ministering to their people.

References

Sources

* Battersby, W. J
''A History of all the Abbeys, Convents and Churches, and other Religious Houses of the Order… in Ireland''
Dublin: G. P. Warren, 1856, p. 248–249.
Augnet.org

www.irishantiquities.bravehost.com {{coord, 53.7820, -9.6395, type:landmark_region:IE, display=title Augustinian monasteries in the Republic of Ireland Christian monasteries established in the 15th century