Abbeydorney Monastery (in ruins) — Knockaunmore

St. Mary's monastery of Abbeydorney (Abbey of O'Dorney/ Mainistir Ó dTorna) or Kyrieleyson is situated half a mile NE of Abbeydorney village, in the parish of O'Dorney, Diocese of Ardfert (Kerry), Barony of Clanmaurice. This Cistercian Monastery of Kyrie Eleison [Greek word for "Lord have mercy"] (Uí Thorna, a local sept whose tuath was here and who with another sept, the Uí Fhlannáin, gave their name to the rural deanery of Othorna and Offlanan) was founded in 1154, as a daughter house of Monasteranenagh, Co. Limerick [LI031-050004-] possibly under the influence or patronage of King Turlough O'Brien of Thomond (O'Connell and Costello 1958, 18). Abbeydorney was a sister house of Mellifont [LH023-007002-]. The first abbot of Mellifont, Christian O'Conairce, who afterwards became bishop of Lismore, resigned and retired into O'Dorney monastery about 1179, where he died in 1186 (O'Connell and Costello 1958, 18). In 1227 the abbot was deposed for being involved in the conspiracy of Mellifont (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 123). Abbot Thomas, a son of Maurice Lord Kerry, who died c. 1303, was also abbot of Fermoy (CO035-024----); Aeneas O'Cormac was abbot in 1410, and Gerald, a son of Patrick Lord Kerry was abbot perhaps c. 1420 (ibid.). The 1302-06 Ecclesiastical Taxation of the Diocese of Ardfert, listed the 'Deanery of Othorna [O'Dorney] and Offlannan' in which the Cistercian monastery stood (Cal. Doc. Ire. Vol. 5, 296). This taxation recorded that the 'Revenue of the house of Kiriel of the order of Cistercians. Their spirituals are taxed among the churches of which they are rectors' had an annual value of £3 13s. 4d. with the tithe valued at 7s. 4d. (Cal. doc. Ire. Vol. 5, 298). In 1307 the following account was given at the court of Ardfert regarding the inheritance of the Fitzmaurice estate belonging to second baron of Kerry, Maurice of Molahiffe [KE048-039----], Co. Kerry; ‘The Jurors say that Maurice son of Thomas, lying in his death bed, at Moyflayth [Maigh Fhlaithimh/Molahiffe], on Wednesday before Easter, had in mind to promote his younger son's, born of Sibilla his last wife, and to give them all lands which he had of his own acquisition, and he ordained that Gerald his son should have all lands of his own acquisition of Vyaille [Beal Castle KE002-001001-]. And that he should know this of the assent of Nicholas, his son and heir, he sent by the Abbot of Kyryeleyson [Abbeydorney], and a friar minor, who were with Maurice in his sickness, to Nicholas, who then was at Moyflayth, that he would give his assent to the gift, and do this by his letters patent, and by taking his oath. And the Abbot and friar minor returned to Maurice asserting that Nicholas would do fully what he had sent them to ask of him’ (Cal. justic. rolls, Ire. Edw. I, 422). In 1472 the taxation of the tithes of the Diocese of Ardfert listed the 'monasteriii Beatae Mariae de Kyrieleyson Cisterciensis ordinis' (Monastery of St Mary of Kyrieleyson Cistercian Order) where Philip Stack, archdeacon of Ardfert was promoted to hold St Mary's monastery which had been held by Edmund Fitzmaurice who had detained the Cistercian abbey of O'Dorney (B.M. de Kyrieleyson) for between fight and fourteen years without any title' (O'Connell and Costello 1958, 18). In 1475 a papal latter was sent to the 'abbot of St. Mary's, Odorney (de Kyrieleyson)' and 'Thomas [son] of John de Geraldinis, a canon of Ardfert regarding a petition sent by a priest of the diocese of Ardfert, Thomas Ykealachyr (Ó Céileachair/ O'Kelleher) regarding the vacancies of the rectories of the parish churches of Tralee (KE029-119002-) and Annagh (KE038-003001-) (Cal. papal letters Vol. 1 3, 455). In 1492 the taxation records referred to Maurice Fitzmaurice and the monastery of 'Beatae Mariae de Kyrie-eleison alias O'Dorney, et vicariarum de Kyllhyn [Killahan Church KE015-108001-] ac de Maghoflahymh [Molahiffe Church KE048-036001-] parrochialium ecclesiarum Artfertensis diocesis' (O'Connell and Costello 1958, 38). Killahan (Cill-Laithin in Tonaknock) in the barony of Clanmaurice which adjoined O'Dorney and seems from the present annate to have been impropriate to the Cistercian abbey there. The parish appears as Killaguyn in the Taxation List of 1302 in the deanery of Othorna and Offlannan, when the Hospitallers were rectors (ibid.). The abbot of Abbeydorney was a lord in parliament; the abbey being very rich, Edmund Lord Kerry was created Baron of Odorney and Viscount Kilmaule in 1537, when he was granted Abbeydorney and other monasteries (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 123). In 1579 the dissolved monastic estate was leased by the Crown to Gerald, earl of Desmond which included; 'the site of the abbey of Odorney alias our lady abbey of Kyrieleizon, co. Kerry, the lands of Clonecan, Royrke, Dromyconnygemyne, Aykrye, and Ballyusine, Boherroe, Lackymore, Lackybege, and Clonenymetaughe, and Ballybromane, co. Kerry, the rectory of Odornye, extending to the foregoing lands, except Ballybromane, the rectory of Molahyffe, same co. To hold for 21 years; rent £8 13s. Maintaining two English horsemen. Not to alien without license, and not to levy coyne or livery. The earl to give surety to the president of Munster for payment of the rent' (Nicholls 1994, 373). Two years later, in 1581 the Crown granted a 21 year lease to John Zouche of the same lands, which included the 'the site of the abbey of Odorney alias our lady of Kirieleizon, co. Kerry' (ibid. 520). In 1589 the same lands which included the 'site of the abbey of Odorney alias our lady abbey of Kyryleison' were granted by the Crown on a 40 year lease to John Champen (ibid., 77). In 1597, Queen Elizabeth granted the 'provost and fellows of the college of the Holy Trinity by Dublin', lands which included 'parcel of the lands of the abbey of Odorney alias Kirialeison, in said co.' (ibid., 296, 299). In 1604 King James I granted William Taaffe of County Louth lands which included; 'The site, ambit and precinct of the late abbey of Odorney, otherwise called our Lady's Abbaye de Kerielizon, containing one church, two church yards, with other houses and buildings, and arable 2s, within the said site-one water mill now waste in Cloghean, Royrke, Dromycounygenyn, Moneacrie and Ballyusene, arable, moore and pasture 60a, in Boherroe or Boherr, arable 12a, bog and pasture 8a, in Lackimore, Lackibegg and Clonenymaeateagh, arable 40a, bog and pasture 40a, in Ballybromaine, arable 30a, the rectory, church or chapel of Odorney extending in the towns and fields of Clonycan, Roircke, &c. as above, except Ballybromaine, the rectory, church or chapel of Molahiffe, with all tithes, &c. to the same belonging, except those appertaining to the vicar or curate; demised, 22 Feb. 31st Eliz. in reversion to John Champen [Champion/Chapman of Dingle], gent. for 40 years, to commence after the determination of a former lease granted 14 Sept. 23rd Eliz. to John Zouche esq. for 21 years at £1 13s 0d.' (Cal. pat. rolls Ire., Jas I, 2). In 1614 King James I. issued a royal pardon to 'Peter or Peirce Purcell Fitz-Morice of Monaster de Odorney' (ibid., 267). In 1615, the Royal Visitation of the Diocese of Ardfert listed 'The Abbey of oDorney' whose patron was a 'Mr. Piers Crosby' (Murphy 1915, 189). A lease in the Crosbie papers described the monastic remains of Abbeydorney as consisting of ‘One Chancel, one Church Yard, one Steeple, one Cloister, with divers Doctors' Chambers, and other chambers, built with lime and stone. One Water-Mill [KEO21-053005-], with Course of Water, the Town of Odorney, consisting of twenty–four Tenaments and Gardens, ten plough lands of one hundred and twenty acres Arable, with the Parsonages, Rectories, and Tythes of Odorney, Molahiffe, Dysert in Clan-Maurice, Aglesh-na-Mannah, and the moiety of the parsonage, Rectory, and Tythes of Moglagh, all came first to the Crosbie family’ (Rowan 1854, 431). John Champion (Chapman) of Dingle conveyed all his rights to Abbeydorne