Clonard Monastic Site Anglican Church 2007 08 26

Clonard RC Church St Finian 05 Detail 2007 08 26

Clonard Abbey (Irish, ''Cluain Eraird'', or ''Cluain Iraird'', "Erard's Meadow") was an early

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

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 whic ...

situated on the

River Boyne The River Boyne ( ga, An Bhóinn or ''Abhainn na Bóinne'') is a river in Leinster, Ireland, the course of which is about long. It rises at Trinity Well, Newberry Hall, near Carbury, County Kildare, and flows towards the Northeast through C ...

in Clonard,

County Meath County Meath (; gle, Contae na Mí or simply ) is a county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Ireland, within the province of Leinster. It is bordered by Dublin to the southeast, Louth to the northeast, Kildare to the south, Offaly to the ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...

Early history

The monastery was founded in about 520 by Saint Finnian, who initially constructed a single cell at the site. The original site may have been at nearby Ard Relec. According to medieval chronicles, Finnian was led to the site by an

angel In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles ...

who told him that it would be the place of his

resurrection Resurrection or anastasis is the concept of coming back to life after death. In a number of religions, a dying-and-rising god is a deity which dies and is resurrected. Reincarnation is a similar process hypothesized by other religions, whic ...

. He was well-travelled, and based his monastery on the training he received at Tours and Llancarfan. Finnian was buried on the site after his death in about

549 __NOTOC__ Year 549 ( DXLIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The denomination 549 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era ...

. During the sixth century, some of the most significant names in the history of Irish Christianity (who would go on to be known as the

Twelve Apostles of Ireland The Twelve Apostles of Ireland (also known as Twelve Apostles of Erin, ir, Dhá Aspal Déag na hÉireann) were twelve early Irish monastic saints of the sixth century who studied under St Finnian (d. 549) at his famous monastic school Clona ...

) studied at the monastery. Clonard was situated on the

Esker Riada The Esker Riada ( ga, Eiscir Riada) is a system of eskers that stretch across the middle of Ireland, between Dublin and Galway. Geography The Esker Riada is a collection of eskers that passes through the counties of Dublin, Meath, Kildare, Wes ...

, Ireland's main east-west road in early medieval times, adding to its prominence. However, it was also on the boundary between the kingdoms of

Leinster Leinster ( ; ga, Laighin or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, situated in the southeast and east of Ireland. The province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige. Following the 12th-century Norman invasion of ...

and Meath that were occasionally at war. From the eighth century onwards, Clonard came under the control of various rival political dynasties, and by the mid-ninth century, it was the leading church of the Irish midlands. The

abbot of Clonard The Abbot of Clonard was the monastic head of Clonard Abbey, which is in modern-day County Meath, Ireland. The abbey was founded by Saint Finnian in the early sixth century. After the death of Saint Finnian, the abbots bore the title " Comarbai ...

led the clergy of the midlands in the same fashion that the abbot of

Armagh Armagh ( ; ga, Ard Mhacha, , "Macha's height") is the county town of County Armagh and a city in Northern Ireland, as well as a civil parish. It is the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland – the seat of the Archbishops of Armagh, the ...

led those in the north. During its heyday, a hymn written in Finnian's honour claimed that the monastery's school housed 3,000 pupils receiving religious instruction at any given time.''Colatur a fidelibus'' from ''Brev. ms. Hibernicum saec. 15. Cod. Oxonien. Miscell. Liturg. 215.'' This hymn is reprinted in A great part of the abbey erected by St. Finian was burnt in 764. Like many monastic sites in Ireland, Clonard suffered heavy losses under the

Viking Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...

raids of the ninth through eleventh centuries. In the year 838 the Danes destroyed it and put the clergy to the sword. They returned again in 888."A Relic of Clonard, County Meath", ''Dublin Illustrated Journal'', Volume 1, Number 35, 3 May 1862
/ref> In 939, Ceallachan, King of Cashel, assisted by the Danes of Waterford, plundered the abbey. In 970, Donell, son of Murcha, pillaged and burnt Clonard.

As a diocese

From the Synod of Ráth Breasail (1111), it was the centre of the new see of Clonard, to which, were added the bishoprics of Trim, Ardbraccan, Dunshaughlin, and Slane, indicating its importance at the time. This was confirmed at the Synod of Kells in 1152. In 1113, Connor, King of Munster, plundered Meath and forcibly carried off the riches of the whole province, which had been lodged for safety in the abbey church.Lewis, Samuel. "Clonard, A Post Town and Parish", ''A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland'', S. Lewis & Co., London, 1837
/ref> A great part of the abbey, and all the library, was consumed by an accidental fire in 1143. The abbey and town were despoiled and burnt in 1170, by M'Murcha, aided by Earl Strongbow and the English, and having been afterwards rebuilt, they suffered a similar fate in the year 1175. That same year, Walter, son of Hugh de Lacy, erected, probably on the ruins of the ancient abbey, an Augustinian monastery. Clonard fell into decline during the twelfth century, and in

1202 Year 1202 ( MCCII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Fourth Crusade * April – May – The bulk of the Crusader army gathers at Venice, alth ...

, the Norman bishop de Rochfort transferred the see from Clonard to

Trim Trim or TRIM may refer to: Cutting * Cutting or trimming small pieces off something to remove them ** Book trimming, a stage of the publishing process ** Pruning, trimming as a form of pruning often used on trees Decoration * Trim (sewing), ...

in the new Diocese of Meath. Very little remains of the site today. From the air, the outlines of some wall boundaries and other

earthworks Earthworks may refer to: Construction *Earthworks (archaeology), human-made constructions that modify the land contour *Earthworks (engineering), civil engineering works created by moving or processing quantities of soil *Earthworks (military), mi ...

are visible.

Annalistic references

See Annals of Inisfallen (AI) * ''AI748a Kl. Repose of Mo-Dímóc of Cluain Iraird.'' * ''AI870.1 Kl. Repose of Suairlech of In tEidnén, abbot of Cluain Iraird.'' * ''AI926.1 Kl. Repose of Colmán son of Ailill abbot of Cluain Moccu Nóis and Cluain Iraird.'' * ''AI954.2 Repose of Dub Inse, learned bishop of Ireland, and of Cellachán, king of Caisel, and of Éladach the learned, abbot of Ros Ailithir, and of Uarach, bishop of Imlech Ibuir, and of Célechair, abbot of Cluain Moccu Nóis and Cluain Iraird, and of Cormac Ua Maíl Shluaig, learned sage of Mumu, and of Lugaid Ua Maíl Shempail, abbot of Domnach Pátraic, and of Cenn Faelad son of Suibne, anchorite of Cluain Ferta Brénainn.''

References

External links

Clonard Heritage Trail

Early history

As a diocese

Annalistic references

References

External links

See also