The Black Friary ( ga, An Mhainistir Dhubh) was a
Dominican friary located in
Trim, County Meath
Trim () is a town in County Meath, Ireland. It is situated on the River Boyne and has a population of 9,194. The town is noted for Trim Castle – the largest Norman castle in Ireland. One of the two cathedrals of the United Dioceses of Mea ...
,
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 ...
.
History
It's believed that the first patron of the friary was
Geoffrey de Geneville
Geoffrey de Geneville, 1st Baron Geneville (c. 1226 – 21 October 1314) also known as Geoffrey de Joinville, was an Anglo-French noble, supporter of Henry III, who appointed him Baron of Trim, County Meath, and, subsequently, a staunch supporte ...
and that it was founded in 1263,
just outside the town walls of Trim. Geoffrey de Geneville retired to the friary and was buried there in 1314.
The friary was an important part of the town of Trim as it held extensive lands and ecclesiastical and governmental meetings were held there from the 13th to the 15th century. Matthew Hussey, 4th
Baron Galtrim
Baron Galtrim was an Irish feudal barony: in other words, the holder of the barony, which was hereditary in the Hussey family, was entitled to style himself Lord Galtrim, but was not entitled as of right to sit in the Irish House of Lords, althou ...
, was a noted
benefactor of the Friary, and was buried there in 1418.
By 1540, as part of the
dissolution of the monasteries, the commissioners of King Henry VIII suppressed the friary and sold its lands, buildings and goods.
During the 18th century the buildings were further sold and quarried for stone.
The grounds continued to be used as a
cillín
A cillín (plural cilliní) are historic burial sites in Ireland, primarily used for stillborn and unbaptized infants. These burial areas were also used for the recently deceased who were not allowed in consecrated churchyards, including the men ...
cemetery into the 18th century.
Archaeology
The Blackfriary Archaeology Field School is excavating this site which is in the ownership of the local authority
Meath County Council
Meath County Council ( ga, Comhairle Chontae na Mí) is the authority responsible for local government in County Meath, Ireland. As a county council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. The council is responsible for housing and co ...
. The excavations have been ongoing since 2010 (formerly in association with the Irish Archaeology Field School). The Director of the excavations (Principal Investigator) since 2010 is Finola O'Carroll, and Dr. Rachel E. Scott of
DePaul University
DePaul University is a private, Catholic research university in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by the Vincentians in 1898, the university takes its name from the 17th-century French priest Saint Vincent de Paul. In 1998, it became the largest Ca ...
, Chicago, has been the project bioarchaeologist (osteoarchaeologist) since 2012. These annual excavations undertaken by Irish and international students of the Field School together with members of the local community have helped to reveal the architecture of the friary while also uncovering burials from inside and outside the church. Courses in
Bioarchaeology and
Osteoarchaeology
The term bioarchaeology has been attributed to British archaeologist Grahame Clark who, in 1972, defined it as the study of animal and human bones from archaeological sites. Redefined in 1977 by Jane Buikstra, bioarchaeology in the United States no ...
on-site form part of the research programme for the Blackfriary cemetery.
The most recent excavations have confirmed the presence of two cloisters or courts in the friary. The main cloister, situated immediately to the north of the church, had a cloister arcade fashioned from
Purbeck Marble, a find so far without parallels in Ireland. Ongoing excavations continue to reveal details of the layout of the buildings, suggesting the presence of a scriptorium as well as the chapter house in the east range.
The Blackfriary Community Heritage and Archaeology Project
The excavations undertaken by the Blackfriary Archaeology Field School are run in conjunction with the Blackfriary Community Heritage and Archaeology Project (BCHAP). The project aims to rejuvenate the six-acre site where the Friary is located for the benefit of the local community and visitors alike.
See also
*
Trim Castle
Trim Castle ( ga, Caisleán Bhaile Átha Troim) is a castle on the south bank of the River Boyne in Trim, County Meath, Ireland, with an area of 30,000 m2. Over a period of 30 years, it was built by Hugh de Lacy and his son Walter as ...
, home of Geoffrey de Geneville
*
List of abbeys and priories in Ireland (County Meath)
References
External links
Blackfriary Archaeology Field School
{{DEFAULTSORT:Black Friary, The
Trim, County Meath
Archaeological sites in County Meath
Buildings and structures in County Meath
Religion in County Meath
History of County Meath