Black Abbey

Black Abbey
Black Abbey
Church and Priory of the Most Blessed Trinity, Black Abbey, Kilkenny
An Mhainistir Dhubh
	Black Abbey, Kilkenny in 2018
	Black Abbey
	52°39′15″N7°15′28″W / 52.65417°N 7.25778°W
Location	Abbey Street, Kilkenny, County Kilkenny
Country	Ireland
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Religious institute	Dominicans
Website	dominicans.ie
History
Status	Active
Founded	1225
Founder(s)	William Marshal, 2nd Earl of Pembroke
Architecture
Style	Norman, Gothic
Administration
Diocese	Roman Catholic Diocese of Ossory

Last updated June 20, 2024

Trinity sculpture Trinityofblackabbey1264.jpg — Trinity sculpture

The Black Abbey of Kilkenny, (an Mhainistir Dhubh in irish), Ireland, is a Catholic priory of the Dominican Order, dedicated to the Holy and Undivided Trinity. Black Abbey was established in 1225 as one of the first houses of the Dominican Order in Ireland.^[1]

Name

The name Black Abbey derives from the use of the term "Black Friars" to describe members of the Dominican Order. This in turn derives from the black cappa or cloak which Dominicans wear over their white habits.^[2]

Site

When the priory was founded the 13th century, the town of Kilkenny was divided into two parts by the Bregach River. One part was occupied mainly by indigenous Irish (Irishtown) and the other by English (Norman) settlers. The Dominicans established the priory between those two towns and outside the city walls because they wished to show their independence from either side.^[2]

In practical terms, the site chosen for the priory presented challenges, because ever since the priory was established, right up to the present time, the buildings are subject to annual flooding from the river.^[3]

History

The priory was founded in 1225 by William Marshal the younger, Earl of Pembroke, who died in 1231.

In 1349, the community within the priory was affected by the outbreak of bubonic plague – known as the Black Death. Eight members of the community died in three months during this pandemic. After the plague years, very few structural changes were carried out at the priory up until the end of the 15th century.^[2]

In 1558, Ireland was under the rule of Elizabeth I of England, a Protestant queen, and the property of the priory was confiscated by the crown. Elizabeth died in 1603, but the policies of the new Protestant King, James I, did not change: the priory became a courthouse, and the Dominicans were forced to leave and find places to stay in other houses.^[2]

From 1642 to 1649, Black Abbey played a major part in attempting to save both the Irish Catholic religion and the king, Charles I of England and of Ireland; the abbey hosted the government known as the Irish Catholic Confederation. This effort did not last long, however. In March 1650, the English army under the command of Oliver Cromwell surrounded Kilkenny in a siege. Many people died from epidemic and hunger, and many more fled before the city finally surrendered.

From 1685 to 1689 under the rule of the Catholic king James II of England, the abbey flourished, but in 1690, under the rule of the Protestant king William III of England, both Kilkenny and the abbey were once again occupied by the English.

By 1776, the community of the Black Abbey was close to zero, but starting in that year, the Dominicans retook possession of the abbey, first by renting it. In 1816, Black Abbey was restored as a Dominican priory, and the first public mass was held on 25 September 1816.

On Trinity Sunday, 22 May 1864, Black Abbey was reconsecrated by the bishop, and was finally opened again as a house of prayer.^[2]

Interior

In nearly all cases, the main building of monasteries of the Dominicans and Franciscans in Ireland followed the same plan. There was a nave and a choir (pointing east), separated by a tower. From the tower or the nave, they had just one transept, pointing to the north or the south, in most cases with one aisle. In some cases, an aisle was also attached to the nave. Black Abbey followed this plan:

          +---------------------------------+           N           |                                 |           ^           |    nave tower choir   |           |           +   +   +   +   +       +---------+           |   aisle               |           +-----------+   +south  |                       |    trans- |                       |   +  ept  |                       |           |                       |   +       |                       |           |                       +-----------+                             ^                             +------------- rosary window

The original choir fell into ruin, and at the end of the 18th century, the stones were used to construct two-storey living quarters for the Dominican friars. This structure was used for 120 years. It was demolished to enable the reconstruction of the nave, which made possible the reconsecration of the abbey in 1864. (The south transept was restored first, and before the reconsecration, masses were held there.)

The nave leads to the altar below the tower. Immediately behind the altar is the large stained glass window known as the "Rosary Window", which is composed of five "lights" or great vertical panels, and is the largest stained glass window in Ireland.^[2] This window was created in 1892 by Mayers of Munich, and depicts the Mysteries of the Rosary.^[4]

Related Research Articles

Dunfermline Abbey is a Church of Scotland parish church in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland. The church occupies the site of the ancient chancel and transepts of a large medieval Benedictine abbey, which was sacked in 1560 during the Scottish Reformation and permitted to fall into disrepair. Part of the old abbey church continued in use at that time and some parts of the abbey infrastructure still remain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winchester Cathedral</span> Church in Hampshire, England

The Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity,Saint Peter, Saint Paul and Saint Swithun, commonly known as Winchester Cathedral, is the cathedral of the city of Winchester, England, and is among the largest of its kind in Northern Europe. The cathedral is the seat of the Bishop of Winchester and is the mother church for the ancient Diocese of Winchester. It is run by a dean and chapter, under the Dean of Winchester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nave</span> Central part of a church

The nave is the central part of a church, stretching from the 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 building, the strict definition of the term "nave" is restricted to the central aisle. In a broader, more colloquial sense, the nave includes all areas available for the lay worshippers, including the side-aisles and transepts. Either way, the nave is distinct from the area reserved for the choir and clergy.

Dunbrody Abbey is a former Cistercian monastery in County Wexford, Ireland. The cross-shaped church was built in the 13th century, and the tower was added in the 15th century. With a length of 59m the church was one of the longest in Ireland. The visitor centre is run by the current Marquess of Donegall and has one of only two full sized hedge mazes in Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rochester Cathedral</span> Church in Kent, England

Rochester Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary, is in Rochester, Kent, England. The cathedral is the mother church of the Anglican Diocese of Rochester and seat (cathedra) of the Bishop of Rochester, the second oldest bishopric in England after that of the Archbishop of Canterbury. The cathedral, built in the Norman style is a Grade I listed building.

Sligo Abbey was a Dominican convent in Sligo, Ireland, founded in 1253. It was built in the Romanesque style with some later additions and alterations. Extensive ruins remain, mainly of the church and the cloister.

Chester Cathedral is a Church of England cathedral and the mother church of the Diocese of Chester. It is located in the city of Chester, Cheshire, England. The cathedral, formerly the abbey church of a Benedictine monastery dedicated to Saint Werburgh, is dedicated to Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary. Since 1541, it has been the seat of the Bishop of Chester.

Rouen Cathedral is a Catholic church in Rouen, Normandy, France. It is the see of the Archbishop of Rouen, Primate of Normandy. It is famous for its three towers, each in a different style. The cathedral, built and rebuilt over a period of more than eight hundred years, has features from Early Gothic to late Flamboyant and Renaissance architecture. It also has a place in art history as the subject of a series of impressionist paintings by Claude Monet, and in architecture history as from 1876 to 1880, it was the tallest building in the world.

Bolton Priory, whose full title is The Priory Church of St Mary and St Cuthbert, Bolton Abbey, is a Grade I listed parish church of the Church of England in the village of Bolton Abbey, within the Yorkshire Dales National Park in North Yorkshire, England. There has been continuous worship on the site since 1154, when a group of Augustinian canons moved from their original community in nearby village of Embsay and started construction of the present building, which is now situated within a scheduled monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. Despite the loss of most of the Priory buildings during the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the western half of the original nave was preserved so that the local parish could continue its worship there. There is today a full liturgical calendar, although a programme of other events, which formerly included the spring Blessing of the Lambs, the Bolton Priory Celebrity Organ Recitals, the Bolton Priory Mystery Play and the Bolton Priory Live Nativity, now only comprises the Bolton Priory Concert Series and the annual St Cuthbert lecture. The Priory is a member of the Greater Churches Network, and pre-Covid welcomed more than 160,000 visitors a year.

The Abbey of Sainte-Trinité, better known as the Abbaye aux Dames, is a former nunnery in Caen, Normandy, now home to the Regional Council of Normandy. The complex includes the Church of Sainte-Trinité.

English Gothic is an architectural style that flourished from the late 12th until the mid-17th century. The style was most prominently used in the construction of cathedrals and churches. Gothic architecture's defining features are pointed arches, rib vaults, buttresses, and extensive use of stained glass. Combined, these features allowed the creation of buildings of unprecedented height and grandeur, filled with light from large stained glass windows. Important examples include Westminster Abbey, Canterbury Cathedral and Salisbury Cathedral. The Gothic style endured in England much longer than in Continental Europe.

St Canice's Cathedral, also known as Kilkenny Cathedral, is a cathedral of the Church of Ireland in Kilkenny city, Ireland. It is in the ecclesiastical province of Dublin. Previously the cathedral of the Diocese of Ossory, it is now one of six cathedrals in the United Dioceses of Cashel and Ossory.

St Dominic's Priory Church is one of the largest Catholic churches in London. The church is Grade II* listed building on the National Heritage List for England. It has been served by the Order of Preachers (Dominicans) since 1861, the community living in the adjacent Priory. In October 2016, the church was solemnly inaugurated by the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nichols, as a diocesan shrine, with a designated mission of promoting the Rosary.

Thomastown Church is a medieval church and National Monument in County Kilkenny, Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St John's Priory, Kilkenny</span> Augustinian abbey located in Kilkenny, Ireland

St John's Priory, is a medieval Augustinian priory and National Monument located in Kilkenny City, Ireland. The Lady Chapel of the priory is now used as a parish church of the Church of Ireland.

Roscommon Abbey is a former Augustinian/Dominican Priory and National Monument located in Roscommon, Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rathfran Friary</span> Dominican friary in County Mayo, Ireland

The Priory of the Holy Cross, also called Rathfran Friary or Rathfran Priory, is a former Dominican Friary and National Monument located in County Mayo, Ireland.

The Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady in Old Brno Abbey is a high Gothic, monumental convent temple. It was founded in 980-1020 by the unknown lord or monarch in Moravia. It was built on the site of an ancient sanctuary from the late 10th century in a short time in the years 1323 to 1334 at the instigation of Queen Elizabeth Richeza. It is the best preserved stylistically coherent and unified temple in Lands of Bohemian Crown.

Castlelyons Friary is a former Carmelite Priory and National Monument located in County Cork, Ireland.

The Priory Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, Athenry, also called Athenry Priory, is a medieval Dominican priory and National Monument located in Athenry, Ireland.

References

↑ "Dominicans in Ireland". libraryireland.com. Retrieved 7 October 2009.
1 2 3 4 5 6 "History – Most Holy Trinity (Black Abbey)". dominicans.ie. Archived from the original on 14 November 2009. Retrieved 7 October 2009.
↑ "History of the Black Abbey". home.graffiti.net. Retrieved 7 October 2009.^{[ permanent dead link ]}
↑ "Black Abbey". frommers.com. Retrieved 7 October 2009.

External links

Media related to Black Abbey, Kilkenny at Wikimedia Commons
Official website

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[Dominicans_in_Ireland-1] "Dominicans in Ireland". libraryireland.com. Retrieved 7 October 2009.

[HISTORY_–_MOST_HOLY_TRINITY_(BLACK_ABBEY)-2] 1 2 3 4 5 6 "History – Most Holy Trinity (Black Abbey)". dominicans.ie. Archived from the original on 14 November 2009. Retrieved 7 October 2009.

[History_of_the_Black_Abbey-3] "History of the Black Abbey". home.graffiti.net. Retrieved 7 October 2009.^{[ permanent dead link ]}

[Black_Abbey-4] "Black Abbey". frommers.com. Retrieved 7 October 2009.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]