Site of Abbey — Abbeyland Little

Part of the monastic complex at Clonfert, this house of Augustinian Canons stood c. 160m to the ESE of 'St Brendan's Cathedral (GA101-017001-). Traditionally associated with St Mary de Portu Pero, it was possibly founded by Turlough O’Connor sometime between 1140-80 (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 164-5). By the mid-19th century the OS Letters (1927, Vol. 2, 108) recorded that the 'monastery' had all but disappeared apart from 'a small fragment of one wall 12 feet [3.6m] high, 7 [2.1m] broad, and three (3) [0.9m] feet thick'. All that now survives is a series of earthworks comprising two rectangular enclosures. The N enclosure (42.2m E-W; N-S 36m) is defined along its S and W sides by a bank (Wth 3.5m; H 0.2m), and along the E side by a scarp. An E-W running road cuts through its N limits. In the SE corner of the interior a rectangular structure (12m N-S; 8.5m E-W) is defined by grassed-over foundations along the N, E and W sides while a large mound of densely overgrown rubble (D 6.8m) forms its S side. Abutting the S side of the enclosure is the second larger enclosure (55m E-W; 32m N-S). It is defined along the E, S and W sides by a scarp. The E side is very irregular in outline. According to local information, some ‘graveslabs’ were found in the SE sector of the interior but no visible surface trace of them survives; they may be overgrown. Compiled by: Galway Archaeological Survey, UCG Date of upload: 16 January 2020