Killeengallive Abbey (in Ruins)

In grassland on S-facing slope of low rise of ground in upland area with good views in all directions. This was the site of a convent of Friars Minor founded during the reign of Henry VI (Gwynn and Hadcock 1988, 272). The Franciscan friary of Kyllalie consistsed of three messuages, 5 acres arable, 1 acre marsh and the site of a watermill (TS057-025----) in Kyllalie and was granted in 1543, rent 4d. to Dermot Ryan and assigned to Mark Magrath (Gwynn and Hadcock 1988, 272). The present remains consist of the wall-footings of the E half of a possible church (approx. ext. dims. 17.4m E-W; 12.6m N-S; wall T 0.8m) of which only a short stretch of the N wall (L 3.4m; H 0.5m) survives above ground as well as the lower courses of the E wall (H 1.2m) and the S wall (L 4.8m ; H 0.5m). The remains of a range of buildings is evident from a wall which runs southward from the S wall of the church (L 18m) and then returns W for a distance of 6.5m. There is no evidence of any wall along the W side of this range of buildings (overall internal dims. 29.5m N-S x 9.2m E-W) and a small quarry (dims. L 13m; top Wth 3.5m; base Wth 2m; D 0.9m) running N-S along this side may have removed all evidence of the buildings. The walls of the church were constructed with coursed red sandstone rubble. It is depicted on 1st ed. OS 6-inch map as a long rectangular building orientated on an E-W axis with a second building running N-S to S of the W end of the church. There is no evidence of any burial ground associated with the abbey. Described in the OS letters as Mainistir Cillin na Geala of which only a small fragment of one wall remains which measures three feet thick (O'Flanagan 1930, vol. 1, 12). Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 26 August 2011