Priory (in Ruins)

The following description is derived from both the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Louth' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1986) and the 'Archaeological Survey of County Louth' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1991). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 17 July 2007 'Roosky', possibly a Knights Templars' foundation (Gwynn and Hadcock 1988, 368), represented by extensive earth-covered remains of walls and a small portion of the standing remains of a church, is situated on the lower slopes of the Carlingford mountains overlooking the town and the lough to the N and NE. The standing remains of the church consist of a c. 20m length of the N wall and c. 8.5m of its W gable. The latter has a gap in it marked by a large, upright, transversely-set granite slab which may represent the N jamb of the original doorway. A large granite stone, which is almost certainly the original lintel of the doorway, lies just to the SW of the jamb stone (?) in the W gable. The lintel is 2.16m long, 0.74m wide and 0.39m thick and has been cut back for a length of 1.75m, leaving its extremities to act as the upper portions of the jamb. It has been carefully punch-dressed and decorated on its border with two shallow incised lines. The church is built from blocks and slabs of uncoursed rubble greywacke and granite. Its E end has been completely destroyed down to near ground level. At a point 14m E of the W gable there is evidence for a cross-wall and just to the E of this there is slight evidence of a possible chancel. The church was possibly c. 20m long overall and if the area at the E end of the building represents a chancel this was c. 6m long by c. 6m wide. The substantial grass-covered remains to the W and NW of the church are probably all that is left of the domestic range of the priory. There are two large rectangular enclosed areas to the WNW of the church, the largest of which is c. 27m long and 10m wide. The one nearest to the church is c. 25m long and 12m wide and may represent the day room. The area to the N of the church has no evidence of building but may have held the cloister, possibly a wooden one. Man-made underground passage LH008-018002- is situated to NW of the priory. (CLAJ 1928, 263-4; CLAJ 1941, 10-11).