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The priory for the Knights of the Order of St John the Baptist of Jerusalem was founded by Richard de Clare in 1174. Its landed possessions included 500 acres in the vicinity of the Priory. This incorporated the monastery of Cill Maigneann on the present grounds of the Royal Hospital. The historical sources describe an outer and inner enclosure at the priory; the inner enclosure contained a castle with a quadrangle surrounded by a strong wall with towers at four corners. The outer enclosure surrounded the castle on every side with a gate on the S side facing the common green atKilmainham. A parochial church stood near the present high cross on the grounds of Kilmainham hospital (18:20(284). In 1859 fragments of floor tiles for this church were dug up near the cross (Anon 1858-59, 444). The Down Survey (1655-6) for Kilmainham shows the remains of the priory still standing though in a ruinous state. In 1681 the Royal Hospital was built near the old ruinous building called the castle of Kilmainham. The demolished material was used in the new building. Excavations by Bersu in 1948 exposed medieval floor tiles, a stonw wall and well (Kenny 1995, 89). Some of this stonework was exposed during restoration work in the 1970s (Gwynn & Hadcock 1970, 334-335; Kenny 1995, 43; Clarke 2002, 19).
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