Settlement deserted — medieval in Greatconnell

In level pasture at the W foot of a low rise, some 300m E of the River Liffey. Augustinian Abbey/Priory (KD023-016----) founded in 1202 by Meyler Fitzhenry and dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary and St David (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 154, 177). The monastery was suppressed on the 24th of November 1540 and the monastic estate including a medieval settlement or town was described as following; 'Robert Wesley (presumably the last prior) was granted a pension of over £13, five other canons smaller amounts; the jurors found that all the buildings were standing as at the time of dissolution; the body of the church had been the parish ch[urch] from time immemorial, the chancel and the chapel of B.M. [Blessed Mary] to the north of it could be demolished, but the belfry could be converted into a castle or fortilage to defend the town and district by the farmer who would need all other buildings, etc., on the 4-acre site; there was a dovecote (KD023-016003-) on the town walls (KD023-016005-), the demesne being 131 acres, and the possessions included over 1,260 acres, a mill (KD023-016006-), five castles, many messuages and cottages' (White 1943, 157; Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 177). The monastic estate was granted to Edward Randolfe and in reversion to Sir Edw. Butler, and re-granted in 1560 to Sir Nicholas White: and to Sir Edmond Butler in 1566' (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 177). The E gable of the Lady Chapel of the Augustinian abbey was incorporated into the E and S walls of a post-1700 graveyard (KD023-016001-). In 2006, an archaeological geophysical survey (Bonsall and Grimson 2006) revealed and mapped extensive (7 hectares) sub-surface remains associated with the priory including a possible deserted settlement. Features identified included levelled masonry remains, probable burials, a possible trivallate enclosure, a street pattern and burgage plots together with areas of plough furrows on multiple alignments. Google Earth aerial imagery taken 28/06/2018 shows extensive cropmarks belonging to the monastery of Great Connell in the fields to the S, SW and W of the abbey graveyard. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 24 April 2019