Holy Trinity Abbey, Lough Key

Last updated

Holy Trinity Abbey
Mainistir na Tríonóide
COA Premonstratensians.svg
Arms of the Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré
Ireland adm location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location within Ireland
Monastery information
Other namesLough Key Abbey
Order Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré (Premonstratensians)
Established1215
Disestablished1608
Mother house Prémontré Abbey, Picardy
Diocese Elphin
People
Founder(s) Clarus Mag Máilin
Architecture
Statusinactive
Style Norman
Site
LocationTrinity Island, Lough Key, County Roscommon
Coordinates 53°59′21″N8°15′17″W / 53.989217°N 8.254697°W / 53.989217; -8.254697
Public accessyes
Official nameTrinity Abbey (Trinity Island)
Reference no.556

Holy Trinity Abbey is a former medieval Premonstratensian priory and National Monument located in Lough Key, Ireland. [1] [2]

Contents

Location

Holy Trinity Abbey is located on Trinity Island, an island of 0.9 hectares (2.2 acres) in the southern part of Lough Key, facing Rockingham House. [3]

History

The Premonstratensians wore white habits (as on mannequin pictured) and were known as "White Canons." Ruti - Ortsmuseum - Kloster - Pramostratenser-Habit IMG 5172.JPG
The Premonstratensians wore white habits (as on mannequin pictured) and were known as "White Canons."

A monastic site existed on the island from the 7th century AD, and a gable and church doorway of the 9th century survive. Holy Trinity Priory was founded in 1215 by Clarus Mag Máilin, archdeacon of Elphin, the island being gifted by Cathal O'Reilly, king of East Bréifne. Some monks came here from Boyle Abbey in 1228. [4] It was raised to abbey status c. 1235. The standard claustral plan was envisaged but only the east range was actually built. [5]

It acquired a daughter house on Lough Oughter, County Cavan in 1237.

The religious and lay brothers were buried within the abbey and in two cemeteries on the island. In 1436 the anchoress Gormfhlaith died here. [6] Excavation suggests that the building to the north of the church was rebuilt after burning down in the 15th century, and this is confirmed by an annal entry in 1466 which blamed a fire on "the negligence of a woman." [7] The Annals of Loch Cé, covering events between 1014 and 1590, were written here.

Holy Trinity Abbey was held in commendam by Ruaidri mac Diarmata (Rory MacDermot, King of Moylurg) from 1548 and granted to a Robert Harrison in 1594. Sir Conyers Clifford was buried there in 1599. [8] The abbey owned property at Aghnasurn and Estersnow. [9] The last monks left in 1608 when King James I confiscated the monastery.

One tomb on the island is of Úna Bhán MacDermot ("Fair Úna"). She was daughter of Brian Óg MacDermot (king of Moylurg 1603–36) who refused to let her to marry Tomás Láidir Costello ("Strong Thomas"), the son of one of his enemies. She died of a broken heart, and Tomás is said to have swum across to weep at her grave. Later he died too, and was buried next to Úna. [10] [11] [12]

A 1991 excavation found silver coins of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, bronze ferrule, iron knife and nails, pottery and rotary quern fragments. [13]

Buildings

The Abbey was constructed from the local rocks: pale grey sandstone and limestone. [14]

The church contained sedilia and chapter room.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boyle, County Roscommon</span> Town in County Roscommon, Ireland

Boyle is a town in County Roscommon, Ireland. It is located at the foot of the Curlew Mountains near Lough Key in the north of the county. Carrowkeel Megalithic Cemetery, the Drumanone Dolmen and the lakes of Lough Arrow and Lough Gara are also close by. As of 2016, the population of the town was 2,568.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lough Key</span>

Lough Key is a lake in Ireland. It is in the northwest of County Roscommon, northeast of the town of Boyle. The lough is believed to be named after a mythical figure named Cé.

Magh Luirg or Magh Luirg an Dagda, Anglicised as Moylurg, was the name of a medieval Irish kingdom located in modern-day County Roscommon, Ireland. It was a sub-kingdom of the kingdom of Connacht from c.956–1585. The kings of Moylurg were a branch of the Síl Muiredaig, who were themselves of the Uí Briúin Ai who descended from the Connachta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ballyfarnon</span> Village in County Roscommon, Ireland

Ballyfarnon is a village in northern County Roscommon, Ireland. Built on the River Feorish at the foot of Arigna Mountain, it lies between Loughs Skean and Meelagh with Lough Arrow, Lough Allen, Lough Bo and Lough-na-Sool nearby. It lies on the Sligo/Leitrim R284 regional road on the border with County Sligo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MacDermot Roe</span>

MacDermot Roe is the name of a sept of the MacDermot Kings of Moylurg.

Conchobar mac Diarmata was the ninth king of the medieval Irish kingdom of Moylurg, reigning from 1187 to 1196.

Mac Diarmada, also spelled Mac Diarmata, is an Irish surname, and the surname of the ruling dynasty of Moylurg, a kingdom that existed in Connacht from the 10th to 16th centuries. The last ruling king was Tadhg mac Diarmata, who ruled until 1585.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kells Priory</span>

Kells Priory is one of the largest medieval monuments in Ireland. The Augustine priory is situated alongside King's River beside the village of Kells in the townland of Rathduff (Madden), about 15 km south of the medieval city of Kilkenny. The priory is a National Monument and is in the guardianship of the Office of Public Works. One of its most notable features is a collection of medieval tower houses spaced at intervals along and within walls which enclose a site of just over 3 acres (12,000 m2). These give the priory the appearance more of a fortress than of a place of worship and from them comes its local name of "Seven Castles".

The Annals of Loch Cé cover events, mainly in Connacht and its neighbouring regions, from 1014 to 1590. It takes its name from Lough Cé in the kingdom of Moylurg - now north County Roscommon - which was the centre of power of the Clan MacDermot. In the sixteenth century, King Brian MacDermot commissioned the Annals of Loch Ce, which remain among the most important written records of medieval Irish history. For its earliest centuries it used, among others, the Annals of Boyle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cross of Cong</span>

The Cross of Cong is an early 12th-century Irish Christian ornamented cusped processional cross, which was, as an inscription says, made for Tairrdelbach Ua Conchobair, King of Connacht and High King of Ireland to donate to the Cathedral church of the period that was located at Tuam, County Galway, Ireland. The cross was subsequently moved to Cong Abbey at Cong, County Mayo, from which it takes its name.

Dublin, Royal Irish Academy, MS 23 N 10, formerly Betham 145, is a Gaelic–Irish medieval manuscript.

Donnchad Muimnech Ó Cellaigh was King of Uí Maine and Chief of the Name.

The Ciarraige were a population-group recorded in the early historic era in Ireland.

Clarus Mag Máilin, Irish monk, fl. 1215-51.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muintir Eolais</span> Nobles in Gaelic Ireland

The Muintir Eolais of Conmaicne Réin, were nobles of Gaelic Ireland. For seven hundred years from the 8th century, they lived and ruled an area roughly conterminous to present-day south County Leitrim. Their territory comprised the lands named Maigh Nissi and Maigh Rein, today the baronies of Leitrim and Mohill respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inchmacnerin Abbey</span> Irish former monastery

Inchmacnerin Abbey is a former monastery and National Monument located in Lough Key, Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McDermott's Castle</span> Castle in County Roscommon, Ireland

McDermott's Castle is a castle and protected national monument located in County Roscommon, Ireland. The site of a fortification since at least the 13th century, the structure's tower house may date from the 16th century, with much of the current building dating to the 19th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boyle (barony)</span> Barony (land unit) in County Roscommon, Ireland

Boyle is a barony in County Roscommon, Ireland.

Thomas J. Finan,, is an American medieval historian and archaeologist, and presently Chair of the Department of History at Saint Louis University in St. Louis, Missouri. He is formerly the Associate Director of the Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, the Director of the Walter J. Ong, S.J. Center for Digital Humanities and the Director of the Center for International Studies at Saint Louis University. Finan is a specialist in the history and archaeology of medieval Ireland, and has appeared in a number of popular formats as well as an Emmy-nominated documentary, True Gaelic, concerning his archaeological excavations at the moated site near Lough Key, County Roscommon, Ireland, in 2016. He has appeared in local and international media spots. He is a licensed archaeologist in the Republic of Ireland, and is a Registered Professional Archaeologist in the United States. He is a member of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland. He was elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London in 2012. In 2019, he was elected to the Comite Permanente de Chateau Gaillard: International Castle Studies Colloque, representing Ireland.

Aughnasurn, or Aghnasurn is a townland in the civil parish of Kilbryan, County Roscommon, Ireland.

References

  1. ↑ Archaeological excavations at Holy Trinity Abbey, Lough Key, Co. Roscommon. Royal Irish Academy. 2005. OL   22636278M.
  2. ↑ Clyne, Miriam (1 January 2005). "Archaeological Excavations at Holy Trinity Abbey Lough Key, Co. Roscommon". Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, Section C. 105C (2): 23–98. JSTOR   25506230.
  3. ↑ "Stock Images, Medical Scientific & Historical Photos - DIOMEDIA".
  4. ↑ "Lough Key Forest Park".
  5. ↑ Medieval Lough Cé: History, Archaeology and Landscape. Four Courts Press. 1 January 2010. ISBN   9781846821042 – via Google Books.
  6. ↑ McAvoy, Liz Herbert (7 October 2016). Anchoritic Traditions of Medieval Europe. Boydell & Brewer Ltd. ISBN   9781843835202 – via Google Books.
  7. ↑ "Lough Key Abbey (Walsh)". 29 April 2016.
  8. ↑ Annals of the Four Masters, Vol. 6. 1599.20–23
  9. ↑ Clyne, Miriam (2005), "Archaeological Excavations at Holy Trinity Abbey Lough Key, Co. Roscommon", Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy: Archaeology, Culture, History, Literature, Royal Irish Academy, 105C (2): 86, doi:10.3318/PRIC.2005.105.1.23, JSTOR   25506230
  10. ↑ aiveencooper (28 March 2013). "Lough Key Forest Park".
  11. ↑ Clyne, Miriam (1 January 2005). "Archaeological Excavations at Holy Trinity Abbey, Lough Key, Co. Roscommon". Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, Section C. 105C (–1): 23–98. doi:10.3318/PRIC.2005.105.1.23.
  12. ↑ "Roscommon Genealogy IGP".
  13. ↑ "1171 « Excavations".
  14. ↑ "Trinity Island Lodge - About the Island".
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.