St. Johns Church (In ruins) — Athy

The Priory of St. Thomas and Hospital of St. John (Fratres Cruciferi) stood near the W bank of the River Barrow, possibly on, or just inside, the line of Athy’s town defences (KD035-022002-). Built by Richard de St Michael, Lord of Rheban, either in the reign of King John (1199-1216) or later, in 1253, and described in a document of c. 1270-80 as 'The Priory of St. Thomas the Martyr with its hospital containing brothers, sisters and sick'. The priory was dissolved by 1540, but no extent of its possessions is known. However, a deed of 1603 noted that in 1568, James Foster had been granted the Priory of St. John with a church, a hall, a garden, a stable, five cottages and a ruinous tower. Today the site is occupied by a modern monastery, a private house and a disused graveyard, the N wall of which includes a portion of wall (L 12m E-W; T 0.9m; int. H 1.8m; ext. H 3.8m) of uncoursed limestone, with the splays of a blocked window, possibly the remains of the original priory. Some dressed limestone and granite pieces in the graveyard together with an architectural feature (KD035-022019-) - a window - incorporated into an adjoining garden wall, all probably came from the levelled priory. (Bradley et al. 1986a, vol. 1, 56-8; Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 210-11) Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy Date of upload: 11 December 2013