Macosquin Abbey

Last updated

Macosquin Abbey
St Mary's Church of Ireland, Macosquin - geograph.org.uk - 529704.jpg
Macosquin Abbey
Site
Location County Londonderry, Northern Ireland

Macosquin Abbey, formally known as Clarus Fons, was a Cistercian Monastery in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland in the United Kingdom. [1] [2] The Monastery was located on Abbey Lane, Macosquin, Northern Ireland.

Contents

The abbey may have owned the churches at Burt [3] and Agivey. [4]

History

There may have been a monastic establishment in Macosquin as early as the 6th century, however, the Cistercian Abbey of Our Lady of the Clear Springs was founded in 1217 by monks from the monastery of Morimond, a daughter house of Citeaux in France. [5] Earlier spellings of the village's name are Moycosquin and Moycoscain.

Dissolution

By 1539 the abbey had fallen into a state of disrepair. The Abbey site was occupied at the beginning of the 17th century by a plantation of the London Guild of Merchant Taylors. While Agivey was granted to the Ironmongers’ Company of London. [6] The last remains of the Abbey buildings were removed in the 18th century and the Protestant Church of Saint Mary probably occupies the Abbeys site and may have reused the foundations. Also a Lancet from the 13th century is installed in Saint Mary.

List of known Abbots

DateAbbottNotes
1217Foundation Abbot not knownFounded by monks of Morimond
1401John O’FlannraLatter became bishop of Derry.
1484Raymond O’DonnellHe illegally claimed the abbacy
1484Maurice O’Cahan,a clerk from outside the Abbey appointed abbot.
1505Abbot Donough O’Cahan.was hung illegally [7]
1604 [8] Abbey was dissolved

References

55°05′57″N6°43′00″W / 55.0992°N 6.7167°W / 55.0992; -6.7167