Religious house — Franciscan friars in Townparks (upper Dundalk By.)

The following description is derived from both the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Louth' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1986) and the 'Archaeological Survey of County Louth' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1991). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 17 July 2007 Franciscan friary of which the only standing remnant is a tower locally known as 'Seatown Tower'. It is a four-storeyed structure with a barrel vault over the ground floor and a wall-walk at the top. It is constructed of roughly coursed limestone and greywacke and has dressed sandstone quoins. The line of the roof of the now totally demolished nave can be seen in the W façade of the tower and a blocked ope with two-centred arch below it. Access to the ground floor can be gained through a similar arched ope in the E, and to the other floor levels through a modern external porch. The remains of wicker centring can be seen on the barrel vault. There are three windows, one above the other, in the S wall, the top one on the belfry stage being two-lighted with a small circular light at the head of the ope. All the windows at the belfry stage are two-lighted with a circular or diamond-shaped light at their head giving a Y form to the centre mullion. The arches are two-centred and the stonework of the belfry level is of dressed sandstone, as is that of the windows at the other stages. The W window at the belfry stage has a drip moulding and carved head above, while there is a further head above the ope in the S wall. The crenellations and turret rising above the top floor are obvious late additions. Although the monastery is first referred to in 1246 (Gwynn and Hadcock 1988, 249) the standing remains, judging by the stonework of the opes, can hardly be earlier than the second half of the fourteenth century. (JRSAI 1908, 302-4; CLAJ 1941, 20-2; Tempest 1952a, 47-8).