Donegal Friary Graveyard

Donegal Friary (DG093-013002-): founded for the Franciscan Observant friars by Aodh Rua O' Donnell and his wife Nuala O' Brien, the date of commencement of the building was 1473 or 1474, or less probably 1472 (Mooney 1954-5, 20). It survived intact until 1588 when English forces pillaged it and, soon afterwards, garrisoned the buildings. They were driven out by Red Hugh O' Donnell in 1592 and the friars returned and repaired the place. In 1601, it was again seized by English forces commanded by the renegade Niall Garbh O'Donnell. During the ensuing siege of the friary by Red Hugh O'Donnell, a mysterious explosion and fire wrecked the buildings. In the following year, Red Hugh was succeeded by his brother Rory as O'Donnell and Earl of Tirconnell and before the latter's departure for Spain, in 1607, he had set about repairing the friary for the Franciscans. The friary was granted in 1607 to Sir Basil Brooke and the Church was subsequently used for Protestant worship (Mooney 1952, passim). The site is now a National Monument (No. 157). Though the explosion and fire of 1601 were without doubt responsible for the fragmentary condition of the ruins, the ·prolonged use of the friary as a place of burial in modern times has raised the ground level (as much as 1.75m in places) and obscured much detail. The limits of many of the buildings were disclosed in the excavations carried out by the OPW when conserving the remains and some sections were raised to present ground level to mark important features (See Leask 1952, 53-7). The above description was derived from the 'Archaeological Survey of County Donegal. A description of the field antiquities of the County from the Mesolithic Period to the 17th century.' Compiled by: Brian Lacey with Eamon Cody, Claire Cotter, Judy Cuppage, Noel Dunne, Vincent Hurley, Celie O'Rahilly, Paul Walsh and Seán Ó Nualláin (Lifford: Donegal County Council, 1983). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated. Date of upload: 22 September 2008