Abbey in Fethard

In level terrain N of the Clashawley River, outside of and c. 200m E of the town wall of Fethard and 70m NE of the Augustinian friary (TS070-040004-). Depicted on the Grace map of 1703 (O’Keeffe 2003, map 4) as a two-storey house with gable ended chimneys and on the Grace map of 1708 (ibid., map 5) as a substantial three-bay, two-storey with attic house, with a chimney on both gables and one centrally placed. This house, which appears to have dated to the 17th century, was demolished in 1952 by the Augustinian friars who had occupied the house from 1856 (Butler 1976, 21, 26-7). According to the friars the house was so substantial that it could only be demolished with explosives. From photographs and cartographic evidence it can be ascertained that this was a U-plan house. The E façade consisted of two storeys of five-bays over a half-basement, with a steep-pitched roof and chimney on both gables. The central doorway was reached by a flight of steps. The two rear projections have a slightly lower roof-line than the front block. Both have two windows at first-floor level in the W gables and are surmounted by a chimney on the gable. On one photograph, which shows the W chimney quite clearly, it can be seen that it was made of brick with three round-arched recesses. The rear wall of the main block, between the two projections, had one window at ground level and two at first-floor level, as well as an inter-floor window suggesting there was a stair at this location internally.